The Fact in The Lie
by Caneeltje
Summary: After her rejection, Booth and Brennan are both miserable. But what was the real reason Brennan said no? What did she really mean by 'I can't change' And if Booth learns the truth, will it ruin any potential their relationship might have had?
1. Chapter 1

**And we're back with a new story! It'll contain trauma and of course, lots of hurt/comfort. We hope you'll enjoy ;).**

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Temperance Brennan had closed the blinds of her office in a hurry, and she'd also locked the door, feeling as if she was about to explode. Chest heaving with emotion, a few tears pushed through her defenses and escaped her eyes. She plopped down on the couch and hid her face in her hands. She saw... she saw and she... felt her heart break. Booth. Her Booth. And Catherine. His Catherine. Kissing passionately in a corner of the lab before going their separate ways. They hadn't noticed her as she came towards them, absentmindedly flipping through a file, then looking up. She couldn't recall what it was that had made her look up, but she froze and she felt as though her heart-muscle was cramping. It was physically painful. Of course, she'd seen them together before. But the lab was her place, her home, and to be defied like that where she least expected it, where her guard was somewhat down, where she thought she could be herself... It hurt. So badly. And here she was, not knowing what to do with the intense emotional pain she was experiencing. Right now, she understood what people felt when they said their heart was breaking.

Booth stood huddled in a corner with Catherine. His arms were looped around her waist and her arms were wrapped around his neck. He had been hesitant when she leaned in, but when she stood on the tips of her toes, kissing him, all of his doubts were pushed to the back of his mind as he enjoyed the feeling of her soft lips against his. After their kiss, he heard her whisper a sweet goodbye in his ear, and felt her tongue flick against his ear. He flashed his charm smile at her, before he released her and they went their separate ways.

She told herself she was calming down many times, until she finally was. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and under her eyes and pushed herself to her feet, thinking,_ The man has effectively broken me. _Immediately, she pushed the offensive and horrendous thought away, because nobody knew how to break Temperance Brennan. She just had an intense but temporary unpleasant emotional experience, and that was all there was to it. There wasn't a mirror in her office, but she felt the need to check her appearance, so she used one of the glass doors to her souvenir cabinets as one. It wasn't perfect, but it would do. She cleaned herself up as well as she could and straightened her clothes, sticking her nose in the air and taking a deep breath. _You're okay, no one saw you._

Booth continued to watch Catherine leave, before he turned around and walked to his partner's office. He stopped in front of the closed door, wondering why the hell it was closed in the first place. A few weeks ago, he just would've opened the door, walked in and found out why her door was closed. But now? He sighed, ran a hand through his hair and knocked on the door. He had told her he would move on. And that's what he was doing. He wasn't sure what they were anymore. They used to be friends, with potential for more. Partners had seemed an inadequate description for years and yet, right now, it was the only one that didn't make him flinch.

Once she had herself in check again, she opened the blinds and unlocked the door to her office. When she looked up, her heart jumped in her chest, but she didn't show it. Booth was standing right in front of her, only the door between them. She quickly opened it. "What do you want?"

The words were spoken clearly, with an almost clinical tone to it. He decided to ignore it, and asked his question. "I was just coming to see what you had for me," he said, clapping his hands, trying to maintain a certain sense of normalcy.

She turned on her heel, not inviting him in or making small-talk. She took the file she'd completed from her desk, turned back to him and stuck out her arm, offering the file while keeping a nice distance between them. "It's complete," she notified him.

"Great!" he said with more enthusiasm than he felt. Her behavior was making him feel awkward but, acknowlodging that there was bound to be a certain amount of awkwardness, he turned around and was about to leave, before he decided to make an effort. He wanted them to be partners and friends. There was no reason why he would let the fact that she didn't want a real relationship with him end their friendship. Was there? "Uhm, Bones... Do you - do you want to go for a drink at the Founding Fathers? To celebrate the end of the case?" He flashed her his charm smile. "You know, another one bites the dust?"

"No," she dismissed his offer curtly and was ready to turn her back to him. But he had this look in his eyes, the one she could never resist. She bit her lip, then said, "And I would like you to understand that this is a high-tech facility where serious science is undertaken to participate in extremely useful and fascinating research, so if you want to french-kiss your girlfriend, this is not the place," she told him icily.

His entire posture changed as he straightened his shoulders and clenched the file in his hand. "Noted, Dr. Brennan. And I would like you to understand that whether or not I french-kiss _my_ girlfriend, is none of your business." He turned around and strode out of the lab, his stride quick and purposeful.

She had plenty arguments to counter that, but he simply didn't leave her the chance. Anger boiled inside her as she watched him arrogantly walk away as if he owned the place. But then he was gone, and harsh reality faced her again: she was alone. Pressing a hand to her chest, she willed her heart to stop hurting as she went back to her desk and plopped down in her chair. She tried to focus on her work, but unwanted thoughts kept harassing her brain. It felt as if she was being punished for wanting to protect him, which was essentially a good thing, right? But then, maybe she should have tackled the situation differently. Maybe she should have called him, later, and explained what she'd meant by 'I can't change'. Why she couldn't give him what he wanted. But she shuddered at the mere thought of telling him. If nobody knew, it hadn't really happened. Or at least putting it away was a lot easier if no one could remind her of The Fact. And all she had to do, was forget about it. Admittedly, that hadn't worked out very well, but at least people didn't know she had a weakness. No, she couldn't tell him. Simply because, if she did, she would get hopeful, and The Fact would make it impossible to happen. He wouldn't view her as the person she was, he would identify her with The Fact. Something she'd worked all her life for not to be associated with. In conclusion, she would have to bite through this pain - surely, it was temporary - and her life would get back to normal.

He could feel the frustration and anger seeping back into his body. She had been acting distant, even cold, towards him ever since he had put his heart on the line and had asked her to take a risk with him. To trust him enough to take that plunge with him. But she hadn't. She had pulled back and told him no. Her rejection had hurt him deeply. He was still hurting and he knew that she was hurting as well, even though she hid it a lot better than he did. He pushed the door open and left the Jeffersonian. _At least, I'm making a valid effort to get our partnership back to safe grounds. _He sighed as he fished for his keys in his pocket, retrieving them and unlocking the doors of his SUV. "If only I knew what the hell she wants from me," he grumbled as he settled himself behind the wheel of his beloved car.

Finally, the day ended, but it was really no use going home. The truth was, it ate at her that she'd had a fight with Booth - a real one, this time, nothing playful. She sighed. Then she grabbed the phone and called his house.

He had just showered, trying to get rid of his frustration and guilt about how he had dealt with the situation with Bones earlier. He felt extremely bad about the way he had snapped at her. He knew he shouldn't have been kissing Catherine in the lab, but it annoyed and irked him that she had called him on it and had basically given him a slap on the wrist. His phone rang. He picked it up and pinned it to his shoulder by tilting his head as he fastened the towel around his waist.

"Booth, are you there?" she asked as soon as he picked up; her heavy, tired head leaning in her hand.

"Yeah, Bones. I'm here." He had no idea why she would be calling him. Besides, he needed to get ready, because he was already late and he was supposed to pick up Catherine in about 20 minutes, or they would be late for dinner.

His words, even though his voice sounded a little rushed, made her close her eyes to hold back the sentimental wetness. He said he was there, but he wasn't really. "I regret our fight from this afternoon," she said, becoming aware of a slight pulsating in the back of her skull. Sign of a head-ache in the making. She'd better get this conversation over and done with and go to bed. Or something.

He sighed as he stopped fussing, plopped down on the couch and transferred the phone to his hand. "Look, Bones, you don't need to apologize. I - We shouldn't have been... Well, the lab is definitely not the place for it and it won't happen again." He tried to reassure her as he stared at the ceiling, focusing his attention on the conversation with his partner.

"I wasn't apologizing. I meant what I said," she cut in. "I just - regret that you took it the wrong way, apparently." Or had she really been too harsh? She shook her head. She never second-guessed herself. "Consider your apology accepted. Are we - okay?"

"You just..." He sighed as his eyes quickly darted to the clock on the wall. "I - I really have to get going, Bones. I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be picking Catherine up in a few minutes and I just came out of the shower, so I still have to get dressed." He silently cursed himself as he realized he was rambling and quickly got a grip. "We're okay, Bones," he tried to reassure her. "I'll see you on Monday?"

Another stab in her heart. God, this had to stop. _Pull yourself together, Brennan!_ She sat up straighter, squaring her shoulders. "Yes," she said in a confident voice. "Monday. Bye, Booth." Quickly, she hung up. She should have wished him a good night. Well, a good weekend, probably. But she hadn't been able to say it, for it would be a lie and she didn't do that.

Her brisk, curt answer told him that things weren't okay between them. He tossed the phone down on the couch beside him and sighed loudly. He had known this would be hard, but this hard? He didn't know how he was supposed to get them passed this obstacle in one piece. He cursed again as he looked up at the clock and saw that he only had a few minutes left to get himself ready. He felt a painful twitch in his chest as he battled the desire to go to _her_ appartment and try to figure their partnership out. Instead, he sighed again and continued to get ready for his date.

After her emotional breakdown that day, she decided she deserved a night for herself. To be nice to herself. She organised her files, collected her things and locked her office behind her. She walked out of the quiet, dimly lit Jeffersonian, pointedly avoiding looking at the corner where Booth and Catherine had stood, and left with her head held high. She drove through the darkness, the streets were quiet. Most people were having dinner with their families. She didn't linger on that thought. Instead, she parked her car under her apartment building, greeted the night guard and entered her safe apartment. She was surrounded with herself, with things from her life. Artefacts from her journeys, books and scientific magazines. Everything was linked together and linked to her, and the feeling of loneliness fell from her shoulders. She even subconsciously smiled. And went to make herself a wonderful pot of Indian herbal tea.

All throughout the evening, the nagging sensation of guilt continued to distract Booth, and what was worse, even Catherine had noticed the fact that something was bothering him. When she had cut the evening short - there wasn't a single doubt in Booth's mind that she had lied about having to get up early the next morning - he felt irritated about the fact that he wasn't as capable of moving on as he would've liked. Always the gentleman, he had asked her to meet again for dinner the next evening. She had agreed and he had driven her home. Now that he unlocked his own front door and was entering an empty apartment, a wave of loneliness and sadness welcomed him. He sighed, dropped his keys, wallet and cell phone on the little table in the hallway, took off his coat and walked straight into his bedroom. He didn't turn on any of the lights, quickly stripped down to his boxers and crawled between the cold sheets. As his body shivered once, produced by the feeling of the cold sheets against his warm skin, he realized that he hadn't even locked the door. He turned on his other side and decided that if someone would be stupid enough to break into his apartment in the middle of the night, they would deserve the beating they'd receive. Booth closed his eyes, trying to hide from the strong current of emotions, but a pain - so deep, he couldn't compare it to anything but heartbreak - ripped through him as his closed eyes supplied him with countless pictures of his beautiful partner.

Brennan had managed to calm herself down and comfort herself somewhat. The herbal tea actually came from India; she'd brought it home herself from one of her journeys. It had been a gift from a medicine man whose granddaughter she'd unearthed and identified. The find had been a coincidence, but the poor old man was convinced that she was some sort of angel and he'd insisted upon thanking her with gifts. Besides the tea, he'd given her a small statue. It was called the Weeping Yoga, and it would take upon it all of her sorrow so she could be in peace. It had a place on one of her shelves and her eyes had been drawn to it all evening, up until the point that she almost believed it was sucking in her pain. After a long time, when she felt better without really having solved anything, she blew out the small candle heating up the tea pot and got a novel from her bookcase. She dimmed the lights and lighted candles, and sat reading until after midnight. When she went to bed, she felt like herself again, but in the dark, she fell into an abyss of loneliness, and she closed her eyes against the hurt. See, she told herself, the statue didn't really work.

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**So how did you like this first chapter? Has it caught your interest? More will soon follow :).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your enthusiastic reviews. As promised, here's the next part!**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_Brennan had managed to calm herself down and comfort herself somewhat. The herbal tea actually came from India; she'd brought it home herself from one of her journeys. It had been a gift from a medicine man whose granddaughter she'd unearthed and identified. The find had been a coincidence, but the poor old man was convinced that she was some sort of angel and he'd insisted upon thanking her with gifts. Besides the tea, he'd given her a small statue. It was called the Weeping Yoga, and it would take upon it all of her sorrow so she could be in peace. It had a place on one of her shelves and her eyes had been drawn to it all evening, up until the point that she almost believed it was sucking in her pain. After a long time, when she felt better without really having solved anything, she blew out the small candle heating up the tea pot and got a novel from her bookcase. She dimmed the lights and lighted candles, and sat reading until after midnight. When she went to bed, she felt like herself again, but in the dark, she fell into an abyss of loneliness, and she closed her eyes against the hurt. See, she told herself, the statue didn't really work._

Booth woke up early with the beginnings of a headache. He groaned, knowing there was no way he was going to escape the headache which was already forming. He got up slowly and walked to his bathroom. Due to the effects most painkillers had on him, he decided to just take a shower and hope for the best. He pulled off his boxers, turned on the shower and stepped inside, enjoying the feel of the small dropplets of water landing and moving on his skin. He tried to focus on his surroundings - which wasn't that hard to do, due to his sniper training, trying to block out the events of the last few weeks. _God, I hope everything will soon turn back to normal._ Normal. What was normal anyway? Was it normal for him and Bones to have this ridiculous thing between them, when they weren't willing to define it? He shook his head. _I asked her, she answered me. Granted, it wasn't the answer I longed for, but at least now I know. _He snorted as he reached for the soap and started to wash his body with sharp, quick motions. He watched the soap as it cleansed his body and wished for something to clean up the mess he was currently in. He angrily deposited the soap back into its container as he turned to stand beneath the spray of hot water as his mind settled on Catherine. It just wasn't working out, he wasn't moving on. Sure, he went out on dates with her, hell, just yesterday, he had kissed her in the lab. THE LAB, of all places. He felt a painful twitch in his chest, which was becoming familiar when his mind settled on Bones and how much he had obviously hurt her by that single action. He turned off the shower with a scowl on his face, and without thinking about it, he sat down. "No matter what I do, I end up hurting someone." He leaned his head back against the wall and looked up at the showerhead. The silence in his apartment was deafening, and after a few minutes of it, he got up, got out of the shower and reached for a towel. _This is madness. Something has to change._

When she woke up, the feeling of being out of balance was still with her. She needed her balance back. It was a Saturday, and she felt like physically exhausting herself. To work off the sense of abandonment, to feel her own strength. Suddenly, she thought, _Will Booth be waking up with Catherine, both entangled in each other's arms?_ Immediately, she pressed down on both sides of her head. _Stop it, Brennan! You weak, jealous woman. What are you doing to yourself? _Yes, that was a good question. Another good question was what she was going to do about it. Well, for starters, a thorough work-out wouldn't be ill-advised. So she got out of bed, washed, and packed her sports bag. In thirty minutes, she was on her way to the gym.

Booth had quickly grabbed his clothing and after having dressed himself, he left for the Hoover. He knew he had piles of paperwork. Going over his plan, which was faulty at best, he drove over to the Hoover where he found out that Hacker wouldn't be coming in untill later that afternoon. Satisfied with the extra time to think things over, he made his way to his office and started on the overwhelming amount of paperwork.

She had started her weekend on the treadmill, running and working up a sweat for forty minutes. After that, she did some cycling and then moved on to the rowing apparatus to work on her upper-body strength. All the emotions fuelled her energy, and before she knew it, it was eleven o'clock, time for her martial arts class. She rushed to get there and sneaked in during the warm-up. They practised new moves and worked on technique for ninety minutes and ended with a sparring challenge. By then, she was tired and her muscles burned in protest, but her mind was determined and alert, and nobody managed to get the upper hand on her. After class, she knew her body wouldn't put up with another fitness session, but she still had this sense of restlessness. So she asked her instructor for some flexibility exercises. A few others thought that was a good idea and stayed as well. Their teacher didn't mind. She did her best to push her body still, to work out the negative energy. One time, her teacher even told her to take it easy on herself, that she was going to rip a tendon if she kept pushing through her pain limit, to which she replied with a nod, but she didn't take his advice. When they were done, she didn't shower at the gym but went home the way she'd come; by foot. Arriving at her apartment, she gulped down two glasses of water and filled the bathtub. She hadn't really achieved her goal, but her mind was clearer, and she knew she just had to call her partner again and make friends, because it was the only thing she could think of to do. Apparently she couldn't be happy without him. How ironic.

Booth had been keeping one eye on the activity in the bull pen, as the agents liked to call it, and as soon as he saw Hacker making his way to his office, Booth didn't hesitate and followed him in. Twenty minutes later, he entered his own office again, caught between surprise at how easy he had been able to convince Hacker, and suspicion - and yes, even jealousy - because it was crystal clear that the only reason Hacker had granted his request, was so he could spend more time with Brennan himself. He resisted the urge to grit his teeth and pushed the jealousy to the back of his mind. "This is exactly why I have to do this. It simply isn't safe out in the field when I can't even think straight." Booth quickly checked his pockets to make sure he had his keys, his wallet and his cell phone. When he was sure he had everything he needed, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Rebecca's number. _Let's just hope she'll be as easy to convince as Hacker._

After a hot bath to soothe her muscles and fruits and bread for lunch with a glass of milk, Brennan decided it was time. She would stop by his house, but Catherine might be there, and she didn't feel like coming face-to-face with her. So she stood in front of her large windows, looking out over the city, and called Booth's cell.

"Damn it, Rebecca! Can't you understand that I don't..." His voice died down as he heard a beeping sound, signaling that he had a second line. "Seeley, are you still there?" He heard Rebecca's voice, which snapped him back to the conversation he was trying to have with his ex. "Yes, I am. Becca, someone else is calling me. I'll call you back later. No, you know what, I'll come by and I'll explain it to him myself." His voice softened, and he continued, "You know I love him, Becca. And that he loves me. This will be hard enough for the both of us as it is, can you please just not make it any harder?" When he only heard a soft, "I'll tell him you'll come by later," he knew he had managed to get through to her. "Okay, give him a kiss for me." He snapped the phone shut and groaned when he saw the missed call. "Bones..." He took a deep breath and called her back.

She was so lost in thought that she startled and dropped her cell phone when it began to beep and vibrate in her hand. Quickly, she picked it up and accepted the call, forgetting to look at the display. "Brennan."

"It's me, Booth. You called?" He was still sitting in his SUV, which was still parked at the Hoover. He leaned back in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down and have a normal - there was that word again - conversation with his partner.

"Yes, I did," she quickly confirmed. "Look - can we talk somewhere? I need to tell you something." She was subconsciously squeezing the fingers of her free hand into a fist. She hadn't planned this conversation, and was surprised by her own intention.

He frowned and opened his eyes, looking out over the parking lot, yet not really seeing anything. "Actually, I'm supposed to meet with Catherine tonight and I was just leaving to go see Parker." What was going on? Why would she want to see him all of a sudden? "Bones... If this is about last night, you don't have to worry, okay? I meant it, we're okay." He had no idea why the hell else she'd want to meet with him.

"Oh - Of course. I should have guessed that," she said, closing her eyes. There was that pain in her chest again. She'd almost think she had a heart-condition. "Ehm, when do you have time? Because I don't know if I should - I mean, I think I prefer not to do it over the phone. It won't take long," she rushed to assure him. She was only going to talk to him for selfish reasons, anyway. Because she wanted to get rid of this stupid sense of - of whatever it was. It was unpleasant.

He sighed as he sat up straighter, having made a decision. "Actually, I have to tell you something myself. Is it okay if I stop by your apartment tomorrow morning? Around 11?"

She didn't need to think about it. "Yes, that will be fine. Thanks."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be at your apartment around 11. Bye, Bones."

She hung up, feeling slightly relieved that he was willing to meet with her. Because he could say that they were fine all he wanted, they both knew it wasn't so.

Booth closed his cell phone and tossed it on the passenger seat next to him in an attempt to make it look less empty. He started the car and drove over to Rebecca's house, wondering what was going on. By the time he had finally arrived at her house, he had managed to pull himself together. The last thing he needed was to transfer the nervousness and tension he was feeling onto his son.

Brennan sat on the couch in her quiet apartment. She felt itchy, wanting to do something useful but at the same time not feeling like doing anything. She'd already worked out. What was left? Right. The Jeffersonian. She sighed and packed her things, thinking she wouldn't be home until late that evening.

Booth pressed his son, who was still crying quietly, to his chest as he stood in the hallway, getting ready to leave. "Come on, buddy," he whispered softly to his son, "it's not that bad. I'll be back before you know it." The soft sniffles of his only son were tearing into his heart.

"But I'll miss you sooo much, daddy."

Booth gently squeezed his son, before he slightly pulled back and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'll miss you, too. You know what? Would it help if I promise to call you every day, bud?" Slowly Booth saw the sadness lessen in his sons eyes, and when he nodded once, Booth knew that at least one of them would be able to sleep tonight. "Okay. I promise to call you each and every day, okay buddy?" He slowly put Parker down, but before his son's feet touched the ground, Rebecca appeared and wrapped her arms around him. "Bye daddy," the words were soft and still a little unsure, but he was certain Rebecca would be able to help him deal with the new situation. "Bye Parker." He opened the door and stepped through it. "Thanks, Becca," he told her as he shut the door. The cold air helped him to get his emotions back under control. He got back into the car and drove home, where he started to prepare everything he would need. The hours flew by and before he knew it, he needed to get ready for the last confrontation of the day. Dinner with Catherine.

She had been working relentlessly, exhausting her mind like she had exhausted her body. She liked working weekends, for there were only a few people at the Jeffersonian, and she felt as though she was a queen in her castle. Working with this level of concentration was like meditation; she was truly able to ban all other thoughts from her mind. When she wondered why she had the feeling her legs were ready to give out, she glanced at the clock. Eight PM. She would finish what she was doing and then go home. At least the day hadn't been wasted.

He was nervous as he knocked on the door of her apartment. She opened the door with a big smile, but he saw it disappear as their eyes locked. She took a deep breath and waved him in. He walked into her apartment, and sat down on her couch. He felt raw. The day had thoroughly ground his emotions. The fact that he only found understanding and care in her dark blue eyes, when he had finally gathered the courage to look up at her, was the last push. The last of his strength slipped out of his body and into the couch as his mind struggled to string a coherent apology together. He felt grateful when she approached him and sat down next to him. They sat quietly for a few seconds and he was about to break the uncomfortable silence when she turned her body towards him and wrapped one arm around his waist. "It's too soon. I understand." He gently placed one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "I'm sorry," he apologized softly. "I know," was her quiet response.

At her apartment, Brennan still wasn't hungry. But she felt light-headed and a bit nauseous and drew her conclusions. She WAS hungry. She just didn't feel like eating. Her meal consisted of a salad with lots of vegetables and cheese, and cooked potatoes. She drank water. Afterwards, she felt better. Physically, at least. Like a magnet exerting its power over metal objects, her thoughts kept being drawn to Sunday, and what she was going to tell Booth. How much she was going to tell him. What her goal was, and what she was prepared to sacrifice for that. She needed a plan, or she would probably feel too insecure to even speak to him. As she cleaned the dishes, she kept returning to one point: she felt like she'd lost Booth, and she wanted him back.

Catherine had managed to convince him to at least have dinner together. When he had protested, she'd quickly added that she wanted to stay his friend and that she could see that he'd had a rough day. Eventually they ordered in and after the initial awkwardness, they'd managed to accept the fact that things had changed and they'd fallen into a comfortable silence. After dinner, Booth had helped her clean up the take out. Catherine walked him back to her front door. He embraced her and respectfully kissed her cheek, apologizing once again. She returned his embrace. "I understand." After her soft reassurance, he had left her apartment and right now, he was going through his belongings, making sure he had everything he'd need, before he turned in. A few minutes later, he locked his own front door and retreated into his bedroom, where he once again was assaulted by the countless pictures of his beautiful partner, and the indescribable pain which was never far behind.

At the end of an uneventful evening, she switched off the lights in her apartment and went to rest her aching body in bed. She told herself reassuring things, such as that tomorrow, she and Booth would return to normal. That at least they could be honest with one another again. Slightly anxious, but relieved too, that she was going to tell him about The Fact, albeit maybe not about how All The Evil had caused The Fact, she closed her eyes and shut down her brain.

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**Are you still with us? We promise clarifications in the next chapter :).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes, here it is: clarification. Enjoy!**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_At the end of an uneventful evening, she switched off the lights in her apartment and went to rest her aching body in bed. She told herself reassuring things, such as that tomorrow, she and Booth would return to normal. That at least they could be honest with one another again. Slightly anxious, but relieved too, that she was going to tell him about The Fact, albeit maybe not about how All The Evil had caused The Fact, she closed her eyes and shut down her brain._

Chapter 3

He woke up with a start, his heart racing. He pushed the damp covers away from his body and sat up straight. _Damn it!_ Another dream about HER. About the future he'd _never_ get to experience with her. After casting a quick look on his alarm clock - which flashed 7:43 AM - he got out of bed, pulled on his sweatpants and a hoodie, knowing there was only one way to get rid of the painful emotions stirred up by his dream. A good long run. He left the bedroom, pulled on his sneakers, grabbed his wallet and keys and left his apartment in the early morning light.

When she opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock on the night stand beside her, it told her it was 7:43 AM. And the first thought that came into her mind was that today was the day that would determine the fate of her relationship with Booth. She shuddered. Eleven, he'd said. That was over three hours from now. Determined to keep busy until then, she got up and appreciated the consequences of her thorough physical work-out the day before. Moving like an old woman, she went through her morning routine. To say 'ouch' would be an understatement.

His lungs were burning in his chest as he climbed the stairs to his apartment, but he savored the sensation. Finally he had found something that could rival the pain that had been inflicted on his heart. When he had finally managed to produce his key and unlock his front door, he stumbled into his apartment and made his way to his bathroom, to enjoy a hot, steamy shower. A glance at the clock on his microwave - as he passed the kitchen - told him he'd been gone for almost two hours. 9:29 AM. The stunning revelation that it had taken him almost two hours to get a grip on his emotions, only reinforced his belief that he had made the right choice.

At five to eleven, she admitted to herself that she was nervous. Her apartment was clean and tidy, coffee sat in the maker, beers were in the fridge and she'd managed to walk like a normal thirty-something woman again. Now, there was nothing left to do but wait.

Time seemed to be moving a lot quicker than usual, as he found himself hurrying to get everything ready. He cast another glance over his tidy, empty apartment as he reached for the door, closed it and locked it. He walked down the stairs and made his way over to his SUV. He got in and turned the speakers up as he mindlessly inserted a CD. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and started the car. It was a short drive to her apartment and as he parked his car, he sent up a quick prayer, asking God for strength and guidance. When he had finally reached her door, he raised his hand and knocked. Once.

The knock on the door jolted her into action, and she took a deep breath before she opened it. Their eyes locked immediately, and a feeling so familiar and safe came over her that she wouldn't have minded to stand like that for a long time.

When their eyes locked, Booth found nothing but determination and peace. Apparently, she had made a decision. So had he. Something was about to change today. The knowledge that they would finally deal with whatever it was that they had going on between them, made his emotions settle down and his tensed body relaxed. "Morning, Bones."

She smiled at him. The first honest smile in weeks for as far as she could remember. "Hey, Booth." She took a step back. "Come in."

He walked into her apartment and settled himself on the couch.

"Coffee?" she asked him after closing the door.

He nodded, "Yeah, thanks, Bones." He knew from experience that talking about hard stuff and difficult situations, was easier if you had something to occupy yourself with. And this was the mother of hard stuff and difficult situations.

She got them both coffee - knowing exactly how he drank his - and sat next to him. "Thanks for coming. Did you have a nice evening yesterday?" She couldn't help herself. She hadn't meant to ask after Catherine, but she didn't know how to broach her topic, and she needed a little time to get her nerves under control.

"Yeah," he slightly smiled at the memory of how understanding and caring she had been. His demeanor quickly changed as he thought back to the way Parker had reacted to his news, clinging to him, afraid that his dad wouldn't be coming back to him.

He was saying one thing and looking as if he meant the opposite. Puzzled, Brennan decided to not pursue this line of questioning. "Booth, I asked you to come here because of selfish reasons," she admitted bluntly. "I never lied to you, but I feel like I did. So I've decided to give you more information regarding the subject." Oh, she was nervous now. Twisting her hands, breathing a little faster, gaze shifting from Booth to the window, to her hands, to her coffee and back to Booth. "To make me feel better."

Booth, who had looked up after she had spoken his name, could clearly see the nervous tension inside her body and without thinking about it, he reached out his hand and placed it over hers. "Hey, relax, Bones," he spoke softly. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, okay?" He put his mug down on the coffee table and turned towards her, giving her his undivided attention. He momentarily forgot about the news he had for her. _Obviously, this is very important to her, and I'm still her partner. I want her to be able to come to me when she feels she needs someone to talk to._

His gesture had the calming effect on her that it always had, yet not as strongly as usual. She swallowed and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them, he was still looking intently at her, but with a patient air. "I told you I couldn't change. Do you remember that?"

The memory of that disastrous evening hit him square in the chest. Unconsciously he tightened his grip on her hand and nodded, unable to trust his voice. _Was that what this was all about? She felt like she hadn't made her point of view clear enough?_ He decided to stop assuming things and just waited - albeit a little more anxiously - for her to continue.

The strength of his grip somehow made her stronger, too. "I was referring to something in particular, then."

He frowned, having no idea what she could be referring to. Feeling like he had gained significant control over his vocal chords, he spoke, "Go on, whatever it is, you can tell me."

She gave him a look that said, _you don't know what you're saying_. "I - Booth, you want a family. I want that, too, or at least, wanted to. But that's - impossible... with me. And I want you to have everything. Because you deserve to have your wish. You really do."

His confusion only increased, he just stared at her, not knowing what to say, or how to react. After a few tense silent moments, he spoke up. "Bones, that doesn't make any sense." He looked into her eyes, deciding to be as honest with her as he knew how to be. "Bones, I want you. That's all I want. To share my life with you." He cleared his throat as he let go of her hand. "You've made it clear that you don't return my feelings. And I can - I'm dealing with that, okay?"

She looked at him. "You're not talking in the past tense. But Catherine -"

Booth interrupted her, "Catherine doesn't matter anymore, Bones. We decided to end it yesterday evening. She took it rather well. She was understanding and she even invited me to stay over for dinner."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out," she told him, and she meant it. For him.

"Yeah, well, so was she. Luckily she understood." He looked at her. "But you're still not making any sense, Bones," he gently probed, more concerned about what was going on with her than with his recent breakup. He knew exactly how he was going to deal with that. Right now, he had to be there for his partner. "Well, you've told me other stuff that you've never told anyone else, right? You can still tell me things like that, Bones," he tried to convince her, "I'm still here." He added silently, _I still care_. "Come on, Temperance, you know I won't judge."

She knew he was right. Her eyes fixed on his hands. "The reason that I can't change, that I can't give you a family, is that I can't have children, Booth." She closed her eyes, internalising the moment, exploring how she felt now that she'd spoken the words to someone for the first time. They came out surprisingly easily. She decided she was okay with it. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I can't have children," she said again, now capable of looking directly at his face as she told him. "Physically," she specified, "I can't have children." It was strange, but she wanted to say it over and over again, now that she could. The Fact was finally out.

Booth was stunned into silence as she looked up at him and repeated her words. He opened his mouth to say something, but when he had no idea what to say, he closed his mouth again. He just kept looking at her, trying to make sense of what she was saying. He knew she was telling the truth; his partner was honest to a fault. He slowly sat back, leaning into the couch as he continued to try and take in this new information.

"That's what I was trying to protect you from," she said in a soft voice when he remained silent. "From me," she added when she thought of All The Evil.

That snapped him out of his shock-induced bubble. "Whoa, Bones! I don't need you to protect me from you. What I need, is for you to be honest with me. Why - why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because I wanted to protect you! You protect me all the time," she pointed out. "That knowledge would have put a guilty burden on you. Suppose that you would still have wanted me at that moment. How could you know that you weren't going to regret your decision? And if you did change your mind, would you break up with me so you can be happy? How could I ever make you completely happy?"

He got up and started to pace as he listened to her arguments. Suddenly he turned towards her. "I get that, Bones, I get that you were trying to protect me. I do. But you don't know what the future will be like! Neither do I." He ran his hands through his hair, before he sat back down. "I wish you would've told me earlier."

"Well I'm sorry that my plan failed. But I was considering the long term." She was silent for a moment. "And unfortunately, I do know about the future," she continued sadly. "I had a bacterial infection and it caused scarring. Scars don't dissolve over time," she said in a soft voice. She surprised herself by actually referring - albeit quite implicitly - to All The Evil. But this was Booth. And she felt that it was okay.

"Wait a minute, Bones. That big brain of yours is a few steps ahead of me, I'm afraid. First of all, you may know that this won't go away in the future, but you can't predict the future anymore than I can." He turned towards her and placed his hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "When did you have the infection? And what scarring? Did it happen when you went on that dig, after I had awoken from my coma?"

"No," she shook her head. He was way off the mark. "This happened when I was eighteen." His hand touching her felt so good. But she couldn't yet reach out to him, too, physically. Her hands remained tightly clasped in her lap. His comfort felt really good, though.

"Eighteen?" he asked confused, but when the dots started to connect themselves, he scooted a little closer to her. "Eighteen. You've known since you were eighteen." His voice was a soft whisper as realization dawned. "No wonder you were always so adamant about not wanting kids." He wanted to hug her, but he didn't know how she would react to that, so he settled for giving her knee another gentle squeeze.

She still sat up straight, her back rigid. She tried to figure out what she was feeling, but she couldn't really tell, couldn't get a grip on her emotions, if they were there at all. As her thoughts trailed off, a coldness settled inside her. She was staring at nothing, zoning out without intending to.

Seeing that far-away look appear in her eyes, he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Bones... Temperance..." He tightened his grip around her, pulling her closer to his body, trying to reach her through the fog in her mind. "Come on, Bones. Talk to me. You said I'm the first you've told this to. I think you've been holding this inside way too long. Just - just let it out, okay?" He couldn't resist the urge to kiss her and softly pressed his lips against her cheek. "It's just me. You can tell me."

His gentle gesture brought her back to present, and her body slackened in his arms. She hugged him back, not for the comfort, but because she'd missed him. "I decided it would be easier not to want children. And that worked for me, but now I wish it had never happened," she told him in a soft, but steady voice.

_S__he never dealt with it_, was the conclusion that crossed his mind. _She just compartmentalized, deciding that she didn't want kids anyway, so it didn't matter that she was no longer physically capable of conceiving them. Besides, she was just eighteen! No eighteen-year old should have to be worrying about whether or not they want to have kids!_ He pulled her body, which had seemingly lost all of its tension, closer to his. But something about her statement was bothering him. "It? The infection you mean?" It was clear that something had happened which had resulted in the fact that she wasn't able to conceive, and Booth found himself needing to know what that was.

"...Yes." She held him, too. "Booth? I've missed this. Us." She tightened her grip around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

He sighed, pure misery washing over him. "Bones, I know we are friends. And don't get me wrong, this is what friends do. They support each other. They lean on each other when they are having a rough time." He sighed again, "Can you just not refer to our friendship as an US, please?" He tried to diffuse the lump in his throat by swallowing. "We're not a couple, so we're not an US. You told me you didn't want an US. You know what I want. And I thought after that night that I knew what you wanted, but now..." Booth paused, searching for the right words, "I don't know what we are anymore, Bones."

She pulled apart. "Booth. How can we be in a romantic relationship when we don't even know everything about each other? How can you say you want to be with me for the rest of your life when you don't know everything? What if I for instance killed someone before you knew me? Or what if I get in an accident and have to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair? Have you thought about any of that? I just don't want to make you unhappy, and I'm so afraid that's what I'll end up doing. And if I decide to love you back, and you leave - it would be disastrous!"

"Listen to yourself, Bones! You're assuming things. What-ifs never did anyone any good! So what if you would have killed someone before I met you? What about me? I killed almost fifty people before we met! Does that automatically mean I don't deserve to be loved? So what if you'd get into an accident and would end up in a wheelchair?" He cupped her face in both of his hands. "At least you'd still be alive. You'd still be with me. Just like any other couple out there, we are bound to have disagreements. But we have them as partners as well. I can't do this, Bones. I can't just 'sorta' have you in my life. Either I do or I don't. But I can't do _this_, Bones. I simply don't know how," he admitted softly, having calmed down again.

The intense look he was training on her, mad with love and hope for it to happen, as well as devastation, suddenly had her all teared up. She sniffed and asked him in a shaky voice, "What if there are things you don't know about me and if you did, you wouldn't look at me the same way?"

He was about to say that those things didn't exist, but he quickly realized that they did, just like he had stuff in his past he thought changed people's perspective of him. "Remember that night, years ago? After I had the guts to do something as stupid as firing the Jeffersonian? What did I tell you that night? About me? Do you remember what I told you?"

She nodded. He was still holding her face, but she didn't mind. It was sweet, not meant to control her in any way. "Of course I do. You had a gambling problem."

"Have." It was a little hard to admit that, but the harsh truth simply was that you don't heal from an addiction overnight. "Have, Bones. I'll always struggle with that part of myself. That's why I told you. That's why I'm telling you now. I want you to know me. All of me, so you know what you are getting yourself into." His thumb gently brushed the skin of her cheek. "Tell me, honestly, does that make you see me as a bad partner? A bad human being? Because I have a gambling addiction?"

"No. But Booth, there are other things. Like - more complicated things." She placed one of her hands over his, still on her cheek, and leaned into it, briefly closing her eyes.

"Bones, the past only has as much power as you give it. Following your reasoning, I would be the worst person anyone could ever choose. In my life, I have killed people, lied to people in order to continue gambling. But does that mean I'll repeat the mistakes of my past? That I'll kill innocent people? That I'll gamble with money or lives? Or both? People change constantly, Temperance. And yes, I know that some things that people do to us, will never change. Nor will the effects. I - I was abused as a child. I can never change that fact. But we can adapt. Deal with those effects. Right?"

She closed her eyes and exhaled, slightly more reassured. "I like your reasoning," she finally said.

When he saw her relax, he softly continued. "I don't think you really adapted to the fact that you lost the ability to conceive. You just decided that you didn't want kids anyway, so it wouldn't bother you as much." He realized he could be overstepping boundaries, but he asked her anyway. "What happened, Bones?" Something was nagging at the back of his mind, and it had been for quite a while. Something in her story simply wasn't adding up. He concentrated, going over her story again. "Eighteen..." he whispered softly as the missing piece of the puzzle clicked firmly into place. He looked up at her, continuing a little louder, "This infection, was it an STD?"

Her eyes shot open, and she knew he'd caught her on a mistake. She realized that she'd once told him she had sex for the first time at age twenty-two. So of course he had to wonder how she got an infection at eighteen. Her heart-rate sped up, muscles tensing. He was getting dangerously close. Close to All The Evil. "It might as well have been," she told him, a bit cryptically.

He shook his head, leaning back, letting go of her. "No." The word seemed to contain all the pain he had been walking around with ever since that disastrous evening. He looked into her eyes. "I understand this is delicate and hard to talk about, but I don't have the strength left to decipher cryptic answers, Temperance. I've been as honest with you as I know how. Please, just tell me." Remembering her fear of being perceived as weak or different, he added, "You'll always be Bones to me. Always. But if this is the main reason why you won't give us a chance, then I want to know. I _need _to know, Bones. Please. Please, just tell me."

She sighed deeply as without her approval, her brain had released the memories in response to Booth's pleading. She dropped her face in her hands, breathing through the images that assaulted her mind. She wanted to tell him that no, he did not need to know, and certainly didn't want to know, but she had a feeling it would make no difference to point that out to him. "I've always been afraid that somehow I'd be put back into foster care if I ever told this," she spoke into her hands, warning him beforehand that this wasn't a pretty story.

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**Now that we know what The Fact is, we're left with another mystery. What's 'All The Evil'? Please review and you'll find out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all, we apologise for the cliffhanger (or at least, Catherine does XD). That's not usually our style, but we had to cut the chapter in two.**

**Also, one of you had trouble reconciling this fic with the episode of Booth's brain surgery where Brennan has tests to make sure she can have children. So, just to be clear: this fic is not really set anywhere in the show, we only picked one event to inspire us. Pretty much all you need to know is in the story ;), you can ignore any other specifics from the show. **

**Thanks again for taking the time to review! We really appreciate it. Now, on with the show.**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_She sighed deeply as without her approval, her brain had released the memories in response to Booth's pleading. She dropped her face in her hands, breathing through the images that assaulted her mind. She wanted to tell him that no, he did not need to know, and certainly didn't want to know, but she had a feeling it would make no difference to point that out to him. "I've always been afraid that somehow I'd be put back into foster care if I ever told this," she spoke into her hands, warning him beforehand that this wasn't a pretty story._

Chapter 4

"Bones, you are never going back into the foster care system. You're a strong, confident, smart woman," he tried to reassure her. "And maybe, just maybe, you should've told this story to someone years ago."

"Not years ago. But you're right, I don't depend on any of them anymore. Maybe I should take my revenge and just tell someone." She looked up. "Tell you. But I'm telling you, the crime has expired, so no one involved can ever be prosecuted. I don't want you to feel bad about that, because I don't. It was a deal and we both came through. Logically, I can't hold any grudges, so I just tried to forget about it. I'm not a victim. I did what I had to so I could have a better life." She felt ready to tell her secret after all those years, but she wanted to prepare him for what he was about to hear. It was only fair.

He wasn't liking what he was hearing and from the sound of it - this deal she was talking about - was something she had been pressured into agreeing with. Booth, however, decided to keep his mouth shut and simply nodded, trying to encourage her to continue with her story.

He gave her the okay, she assumed, and she reached for her coffee mug, emptying it to moisten her throat. "Officially speaking, I should have been in foster care until age eighteen," she began. "I didn't know I had any relatives left. Except for Russ, of course, but he was not coming for me. He was the one who put me in foster care to begin with," she pointed out. "Anyway, you know that I got out at age seventeen and lived with my grandfather until I went to college. But he wasn't the one who found _me_, and I didn't even know he was alive." She stopped to check if Booth was still following.

"So, you got out sooner, by making a deal with someone, and because of this deal, you got an infection and lost the ability to conceive?" Booth asked as she looked up at him. "What was the deal, Bones?" he asked gently, trying to encourage her to just get it out.

"I would never speak to anyone about the events that eventually caused the infection and in turn my foster dad would arrange for me to leave the system and live with a relative if he could find any, or else he would arrange for an apartment for me. He could give me anything I needed to start my own life; a place to live, furniture, a job, new clothes. It was my only chance to get away and I took it."

"Meaning, you wouldn't let anyone know that your foster dad, the man who was supposed to protect you and keep you safe, exposed you to - to whatever it is that he exposed you to?" Booth sighed, and decided that he had had enough of their cryptic way of communicating with each other, hoping the other would understand what they were trying to tell them. "So what was the deal? You allowed him or someone else to have sex with you, so you could get out, before your eighteenth birthday?" Booth realized it was harsh, especially for his standards, but he wanted the truth, and maybe it would help her to just say out loud what it was that had cost her the ability to have children. To conceive, to feel new life growing inside of her body.

"Booth, jesus!" His directness had taken her by surprise, and, startled, she jumped to her feet, wrapped her arms around herself and went to get a glass of water. She returned quickly, though, and placed the glass on the coffee table after having taken a few gulps. She wouldn't sit back down with him, though. Not yet. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I don't know if I would have allowed him to do that, had he given me a choice, but that's not how it went down, Booth. I told you the deal was for me to keep my mouth shut and not potentially ruin his reputation. I never consented to any type of sexual intercourse. Okay?" She demanded that he listened carefully and not go about guessing. That would not lead him to the truth. "Be patient, I never told anyone this and I want to do it right now that I am."

"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions, Bones. I understand this is hard to talk about. I do. But you are worrying me. A lot. I care about you and the mere thought of how you were treated in foster care is enough to make my skin crawl. I won't interrupt again. Please, continue."

She took a moment to scrutinize his expression. He had jumped to the exact conclusion that had always nagged at her. That she was afraid people would think of her as a prostitute. That she had whored herself out to some guy in his forties so he would do her a freaking favour. Finally, she decided that he didn't mean to sit there and judge her, so she reclaimed her seat on the couch. "All right," she said. "I'm not going to tell you his name, so you won't get yourself into trouble by going after him," she announced. True to his word, Booth merely raised an eyebrow and frowned, but didn't say anything. She could trust him. "First of all, they were the best home I'd been placed in until then. Everything went well enough, and my foster dad especially was kind to me. He treated me like a human being, and finally I began to trust him. Then one day, he said he needed to talk to me about something. As it turned out, he had come to love me, but not really as his daughter. He said I was mature way beyond my years, and he was attracted to me. He asked me what I thought of that, and I said that I'd been wishing for a father figure, not a lover more than twice my age. Then I cried, and I told him I had to leave them and that I was sorry. He was understanding and tried to comfort me, but I ran away. I didn't return until bedtime and went to sleep." The words were coming to her so easily. She'd never imagined this was the way she would finally expose her past to someone. It was almost as if it wasn't really her. As if it was another life she was speaking of. But then, it kind of was.

"I'm sorry that you had to experience that. In my opinion, he didn't have the right to dump that on your shoulders, but please continue." Booth's heart ached for her. By the time she was seventeen she'd been through so much bad stuff already, and when she finally thought she'd found a good, warm, loving home, her foster dad was having trouble keeping his hands to himself.

She nodded after another sip of water. "The next morning when I woke up, I had a headache and it felt as if I was coming round from anesthesia. In any case, not from a natural sleep." She adjusted her position on the couch as she remembered in much clearer detail than she'd expected how her prison had looked. "I was confused, because I felt weird and I wasn't in my room. After a while I figured out I was in the basement. It was dark, but I recognized the pattern on the walls. It was my foster dad's sound-proof room where he used to practise his drumming. I tried flicking on the light, but it didn't work. I felt around for the drum kit so I could make noise, but it was gone and no one would probably have heard me anyway. I did discover a stool next to the mattress I'd been sleeping on, and there was a bottle of water on it, along with a banana, which I ate half of." It was like a movie was playing in her mind, and she was just quickly trying to describe what she was seeing until the film skipped to the next scene. At some point, she wasn't even consciously aware that she was talking to Booth. "I went back to bed to try and get rid of the headache, but I couldn't really sleep. So I sat with my back against the wall, knees drawn up to my chest and the blanket around me so I wouldn't get cold. I couldn't hear any sounds from upstairs, and there was no way they'd be able to hear me." Snap to next scene. "Then, after what seemed like hours, the door opened and I protected my eyes from the light of a lantern. My foster dad observed that I was awake and had eaten something. I asked him why I was in there, and he locked the door behind him and put the lantern on the stool next to the banana and the water. My eyes got used to the light and I looked at his face, but it hardly looked like him. As if there was another person inside his body. He stood in front of me so I had to look up, and he said that I couldn't run away from an important conversation like I did the night before. It wasn't polite. I said I hadn't meant to hurt him, but that I still didn't understand why I was in that basement. He laughed as if it was obvious. He told me that I couldn't seduce him, wrap him around my little finger, and then disrespect him by crying and running away as if the mere thought of him made me sick. I asked him why I was feeling unwell, and he confessed that he'd sedated me with chloroform so I wouldn't wake anyone. It began to dawn on me that I was in trouble and I began to cry." She had been speaking calmly, recounting the events in a coherent manner. But here the movie suddenly ended, and she fell silent.

"That," Booth spoke with a voice which barely contained the anger he felt, "is child abuse." He paused, looking at his hands which had curled into tight fists during her story. He relaxed them and flexed his hands a few times, trying to get rid of the overwhelming urge to make that bastard pay for everything he had put her through. The question,_ what deal did he force you to agree with?_ was burning on his tongue, but knowing better, he clenched his jaw muscles and kept his mouth shut, waiting with as much patience as he could muster, for her to go on with her horror story.

Booth's voice came from far away, but when she turned her face in his direction, she found him sitting close. It was nice to hear him say that. Especially since she'd always taken responsibility for some of the things that had happened. For instance, she should have been more careful to trust him in the first place, but she should also have controlled her own behaviour better. Apparently she'd given him the idea that she was open to a romantic relationship with him. Her face fell. For her mind - meanwhile - had skipped to the darkest scene. "He sat down next to me and held me in his arms, stroking my back as if he wanted to comfort me. I was scared, and I kept as still as possible. Then he kissed my neck, and my face, and then my mouth. He pushed the blanket off my shoulders and began stroking me again, but in a different way. A bad way; I could feel that. I asked him to please leave, that I would stay in the basement if he didn't want to see me anymore. But he told me that he couldn't and he explained how it was all my fault. While he spoke, he pushed me down and - and he -" She cleared her throat, taking a moment to tell herself again that she was seeing the memories, but that she wasn't actually in them at this moment. She was on the couch in her apartment, and Booth was with her. And that was okay. "He touched me everywhere. His strength was overwhelming, and he kept talking to me, about maturity and responsibility and such. I pushed his hands away once and he gave me a blow to the head that sent my mind spinning. I could only concentrate on the pain that radiated to my entire head, and the next thing I knew he was half-naked on top of me. I realized that it was really going to happen, nothing I could do, nobody coming to help me... And indeed it happened," she said, her voice disappearing into silence. "_God_." She pressed a hand to her mouth and ran towards the bathroom, where she sank onto her knees in front of the toilet bowl - just in time - and gave way to the revulsion and to the sickness of that act by throwing up everything she had in her.

Booth's anger, frustration, but also his concern had been steadily rising as she continued with her story. Even before that soft admission was whispered, he knew what had happened. The bastard had simply taken what she wasn't willing to give. When she bolted upright and ran towards the bathroom, Booth didn't hesitate and immediately followed her. He sat down next to her and gently gathered her beautiful dark hair in his hands, keeping it out of the way. When she was done and leaned back, he carefully wrapped his arms around her waist. Not saying anything, just holding her. Just letting her know she was not alone, that he was not repulsed by the story she'd just told him. He still wanted to be with her. He still wanted her, so he held her, closely to his chest, his heart breaking for her and the mess they were stuck in.

When she'd caught her breath, she stood and rinsed her mouth at the sink. "Thank you for holding me," she said sincerely right before turning back to him. "Somehow that really helped." She felt exhausted, drained, but she was adamant to tell him the rest. There wasn't that much left, but she needed to get it out, just like she'd just thrown everything out of her body. Clean up. Get it out of her system.

"I'm glad it did," Booth told her softly, standing up, yet not knowing whether he should approach her again or not. "You still haven't told me how you got that infection that had such disastrous consequences," he gently reminded her. He didn't want to push her, but he needed to know what had been the cause of his partner's infertility.

"I know, I'm getting to that," she said without reproach. Walking ahead of him, she went back to the living room and had another sip of water. He sat down with her and she felt okay enough to continue. "When he left, I was in excruciating pain and bleeding. But there was nothing I could do for myself. I just hoped that he would either let me go or never come back and let me die there. Of course, he did come back. In fact, I believe he held me prisoner in that basement for three days. He raped me twice and proposed a deal to me on the third day, when the mere opening of the door caused me to go crazy with fear." She shook her head at the memory, as if she could just shake it off. It was in the past, but it felt so recent all of a sudden. "He told me that we were even and that he would give me anything I needed to start a life of my own, on one condition. That I would never tell anyone about what he'd done to me in that basement. It was for my own good as well, he said, because people would think I was a whore and I would be put in a psychiatric hospital because I was underaged. He used different arguments to blackmail me into silence, but I had already accepted. I would have done anything to get out of there and away from him. In the middle of the night, we left in his car. I was so nervous I couldn't talk, and I was so bruised I nearly screamed every time he hit a bump in the road. He explained that the story was that I'd run away - I should come up with a lie of my own to explain that. He'd managed to find and contact my grandfather, and he was coming to pick me up at dawn. I didn't have any reason to believe him, especially since I thought my grandparents were dead. I actually expected him to kill me and dump my body somewhere down the road, so I wasn't really listening when he explained everything to me. I was searching for opportunities to flee. However, he kept true to his word and actually left me alive with food and water. A man who introduced himself as my grandfather indeed picked me up at dawn." She paused to drink more water.

The thought of her hurt so profoundly, treated so carelessly, made Booth's blood boil with anger. The anger and resentment towards her foster father - her rapist - was so overwhelming Booth could no longer form words, let alone sentences. He had always subconsciously known she had been treated badly in the foster care system, but this? This was just incomprehensible. _Who could do such a thing? What kind of animal can hurt a young woman so deeply?_ Slowly, Booth's mind started to form thoughts again._ It's no wonder she treats sex as a way to satisfy her body on her terms. It's a way to stay in control. She doesn't allow emotions into the equation, and now that I know what happened to her, I can't blame her._

"We never really got along, my grandfather and I," she continued, "Or at least, there was always this distance between us. I guess it was my fault, because he certainly tried. The first week I spent in bed because my lower half was hurting too much to really do anything else. And I couldn't go to a doctor, because I couldn't break the deal. I was still scared, then. Letting me live was probably more cruel than killing me." She shrugged. "I see that differently, now, of course. But it was a rough time. As soon as I turned eighteen, my grandfather found me a dorm room at the university. Seven months after I met my grandfather, I received a letter that had been delivered to my grandfather's address. It was from_ him_, telling me I should get checked out because some doctor had found a dormant bacterial infection on him, and there was a great chance I had it, too. It was a formal letter, but it ended on a more personal note. It said that he was happy with the way our deal had worked out. That I was trustworthy and he wished me all the best. That he had come to forgive me." She felt a surge of anger as she tought back to that moment. "I was furious - and went to see a gynaecologist as soon as possible. She indeed found signs of an infection, and scarring. She asked me how I got it, but I told her that was pretty obvious. I asked if there were consequences. She did an ultrasound and told me my fallopian tubes were obstructed by scar tissue. In other words, I couldn't get pregnant because sperm would never reach my eggs. I didn't feel sad, I just imploded with anger. That stupid bastard had ripped me apart, infected me with his filthy bacteria and my reproductive system was all-scars and rendered useless. But worst of all, the week I spent in bed because of the terrible pains that sometimes were so excruciating I passed out - that suffering hadn't been necessary if a doctor would have diagnosed the inflammation and given me adequate pain killers. That's actually the reason why I started martial arts. There were try-out classes that evening and I could finally give air to some of my anger. In addition, if I'd ever run into him again, I would at least be able to beat him into a coma. Because he never said anything about that when he explained the terms of the deal. The only thing I had to do was keep my mouth shut about what he'd done. He never said I couldn't retaliate. But of course, I never saw him again. Especially not after moving here. But the martial arts always stayed with me, because it was the only way I knew how to release my frustration, and it made me feel more confident. Stronger. Like I would never have to let it happen to me again." She looked in Booth's eyes. "And yet, if it all hadn't happened, I might never have met you." Now that she'd shared her story, thereby acknowledging it had happened, the memories she'd been immersed in suddenly faded, were being pulled back to the past, and she was back in the present. Now, she could finally put it behind her.

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**So what do you think? Is this a realistic scenario to explain Brennan's views on children? (Again, ignoring Critic in the Cabernet.) For Booth's reaction to all this - and a surprise of his own - please stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Dear reviewers, thank you so much for your comments! Here's the next part.**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_"We never really got along, my grandfather and I," she continued, "Or at least, there was always this distance between us. I guess it was my fault, because he certainly tried. The first week I spent in bed because my lower half was hurting too much to really do anything else. And I couldn't go to a doctor, because I couldn't break the deal. I was still scared, then. Letting me live was probably more cruel than killing me." She shrugged. "I see that differently, now, of course. But it was a rough time. As soon as I turned eighteen, my grandfather found me a dorm room at the university. Seven months after I met my grandfather, I received a letter that had been delivered to my grandfather's address. It was from him, telling me I should get checked out because some doctor had found a dormant bacterial infection on him, and there was a great chance I had it, too. It was a formal letter, but it ended on a more personal note. It said that he was happy with the way our deal had worked out. That I was trustworthy and he wished me all the best. That he had come to forgive me." She felt a surge of anger as she tought back to that moment. "I was furious - and went to see a gynaecologist as soon as possible. She indeed found signs of an infection, and scarring. She asked me how I got it, but I told her that was pretty obvious. I asked if there were consequences. She did an ultrasound and told me my fallopian tubes were obstructed by scar tissue. In other words, I couldn't get pregnant because sperm would never reach my eggs. I didn't feel sad, I just imploded with anger. That stupid bastard had ripped me apart, infected me with his filthy bacteria and my reproductive system was all-scars and rendered useless. But worst of all, the week I spent in bed because of the terrible pains that sometimes were so excruciating I passed out - that suffering hadn't been necessary if a doctor would have diagnosed the inflammation and given me adequate pain killers. That's actually the reason why I started martial arts. There were try-out classes that evening and I could finally give air to some of my anger. In addition, if I'd ever run into him again, I would at least be able to beat him into a coma. Because he never said anything about that when he explained the terms of the deal. The only thing I had to do was keep my mouth shut about what he'd done. He never said I couldn't retaliate. But of course, I never saw him again. Especially not after moving here. But the martial arts always stayed with me, because it was the only way I knew how to release my frustration, and it made me feel more confident. Stronger. Like I would never have to let it happen to me again." She looked in Booth's eyes. "And yet, if it all hadn't happened, I might never have met you." Now that she'd shared her story, thereby acknowledging it had happened, the memories she'd been immersed in suddenly faded, were being pulled back to the past, and she was back in the present. Now, she could finally put it behind her. _

Chapter 5

Even though she had given him more than one warning combined with the fact that he knew her adolescence had been awkward at best, Booth was still shocked by the story he had just been told. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat. "I'm glad you finally told someone. And I'm grateful you decided to tell me. I just - there is one thing I don't get." He turned fully towards her and once again reached for her, placing his hand on her smaller one. "Why did you decide to tell me now?"

She looked at his hand covering hers. For some reason she couldn't put her finger on, she found it a pretty sight. "Because I finally realized that it was like a wedge between us, and I find that when I feel I've lost you, I become inadequate. At everything." She looked up at him, her eyes clear and honest.

"What do you want, Bones?" he asked her, slightly squeezing her hand. "I need to know. I realize I'm pushing, so if you can't answer that right now, I won't mind, but I need you to think about it. 'Cause I can't do this anymore," he admitted softly. "I haven't had a single night's worth of decent sleep. I've been skipping meals, simply not having any appetite, and it has never been so painful to come home to an empty apartment." He looked into her eyes, waiting patiently for whether or not she could give him an answer, or if she needed more time.

She looked down, finding it hard to hear how awful he'd been feeling and being responsible for it. Her brain wasn't in a state useful for proper decision-making, but she could tell him one thing. "What I know for sure, now, is that I can't be without you. Which means that I'm inclined to give all this a chance. If you are certain you still want me, of course."

"I wish you would've told me that sooner as well," he mumbled as he looked away, thinking about all of the arrangements and changes he had made just the day before.

"Well, I only realized it during the last twenty-four hours," she said in her defence.

"What made you realize you can't be without me?" Booth realized with a painful clarity that she still hadn't stated what she wanted. Yes, she'd told him she couldn't be without him, but there was a big difference between feeling a need to be close to a person and wanting that person close to you 24/7.

"Being without you," she replied simply. "Seeing you with another woman, feeling the restraints of that fact in our interaction. Plus," she admitted, "I was simply jealous. It was as if I was back at square one. I felt lonely."

"So, what do you want, Bones? Do you want us to go back to just being partners and friends? Or do you want to try to make US work?" At this point, Booth didn't even care which one she picked, as long as he had some clarity. "Something has to change, Bones." He looked her straight in the eye. "I can't do this anymore, Temperance. I don't have the strength left." His voice died down.

"I understand that," she said as she saw the evidence in his eyes. "And it would be stupid not to try. I'm not stupid. I will not meet someone better than you. The crazy thing is that you actually want me as a person. And I know I will always regret it if I don't do this." She scooted closer to him. "Booth, I trust you."

"I know, Bones. And I'm glad you want to give this a chance, but I wish you would've told me earlier... Yesterday, I ended things with Catherine and I - I went to Hacker and agreed to become spokesperson of the FBI for the next six months." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding onto her hand. "I'm sorry, I just - I couldn't do this anymore and I - I decided I needed a drastic change. So I went to Hacker to ask him if I could take some time off. He told me that I was too late with my application, but eventually, he suggested that I become spokesperson of the FBI for the next six months. He told me I would be able to travel and that it would feel just like being on vacation. I'm sorry, Bones. But I needed time to work through all of this, to - to let you go... So I agreed. I'm scheduled to leave tomorrow morning."

It was like falling into a well of emptiness. She stiffened in his arms and was psychologically unable to speak for several moments. "You - you're leaving?"

He could feel her body tense up in his arms, "I don't know. After what you've told me I don't want to leave anymore... but I called my landlord and he already found someone else to move into my apartment somewhere next week, so even if Hacker will let me switch back to being a Field Agent, I have no idea where I'll be staying. I - I finalized everything yesterday. I even went to see Parker to tell him that I was leaving for a little while. That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Booth told her as he tried to look her in the eye.

The emptiness expanded. She turned completely inward. He - he couldn't. She had really believed it might work, today. After telling him, exposing - no, completely _baring _herself, leaving no defences, he was telling her he was going to leave. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew better than that. Of course, she understood his pain, but to just leave without talking to her about it first - it left her wondering whether she still trusted him now. It was selfish, maybe, but he couldn't beg her to be with him one moment and tell her he was leaving the next. "Are you going to leave?" she managed to utter in a low, low voice, her hands trembling in her lap. Was he going to walk away, taking her secret with him, and leave her behind naked with no means to protect herself?

He gently tipped her chin up, using his index finger so he could finally look into her eyes. "The reason why I wanted to leave was because seeing you, talking to you, but not being able to really be with you, to love you, to hold you, to have you," he added in a husky tone of voice, "to be there for you - it was killing me, slowly but surely." He briefly pressed his lips to hers, "You just told me you can't be without me. I can't be without you either." He pressed his lips to hers again, for a more passionate kiss this time. "I don't know how I'm going to arrange it, where I'll sleep, or if I'll even have a job left. But if you're willing to give us a chance, then I'm not going anywhere."

That last time, she kissed him back, and then fell into him crying. "Damn you for making me think you were leaving," she sobbed and smacked his shoulder, then hugged him. "You're staying here, with me."

He cleared his throat and spoke up honestly, "If you hadn't told me why you turned me down, I would've left, Bones. I would've come back after those six months, but I had to put some distance between us. It was killing me." He buried his head in the crook between her neck and her shoulder, while he pressed her body to his. "But I'm really glad I get to stay right here. With you."

She wanted to hit him and she wanted to hug him. She didn't know anymore. Her world was upside down, with only Booth to hang onto. "You should have talked to me sooner," she admonished him.

"And what was I supposed to say, Bones? 'You've changed so much since I first met you. Trust me and let me help you change once more?' Now that I know what you were referring to, you would've probably just gotten mad and would've accused me I had no idea what I was talking about. And you would've been right, I wouldn't have any idea, but it also wouldn't have brought us closer together, now would it?"

She let out a deep breath. "I can't think anymore. My mind isn't capable of doing anything right now. So if you promise to stay, we can talk more later. Just know that if you leave, I will probably hate you for the rest of my life." To put strength to her words, she kissed him on the cheek. "Hate you very much," she added as a warning as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into his chest again.

"I probably would've hated you for the rest of my life if you would've allowed me to leave." Booth wrapped his arms around her and pressed her firmly against his chest as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Instead," his voice dropped to a whisper, "I'll love you for the rest of my life, because you wanted me to stay with you. 'Cause that's where I long to be, Temperance. By _your _side. That's where I belong."

She had no words to that, she was just relaxed in his arms, her worries a mile away, and only slightly concerned what this would mean for her independence. The odd thing was that she didn't seem to care very much at that moment. After a while, she said, "I should go brush my teeth."

He chuckled, being caught off-guard by her weird statement. "Why do you need to go brush your teeth?"

"Because I transferred my stomach-contents to the toilet bowl," she replied over her shoulder and went into the bathroom to quickly brush some freshness into her mouth. If he was going to kiss her again, she didn't want him to think of that embarrassing episode.

He got up off the couch and followed her into the bathroom. He wrapped his arms around her waist and quickly caught her wrist as she reached to put the toothbrush back in the glass. "Relax, okay? We have the entire day to figure out how we are going to fix the mess we made, but first..." He turned her in his embrace, so she was facing him. "I hardly slept last night and judging from the dark color under your eyes, your night wasn't better. Why don't we try to get some sleep and we'll start cleaning up this mess when we wake up?"

She sighed, appreciating her exhaustion, looked at him, then nodded. Taking his hand, she pulled him into her bedroom and closed the door, then the curtains. Next, she got out of her jeans and pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her in a camisole, and collapsed onto the bed. "Get in here, fast," she mumbled, her eyes falling shut already.

He stripped down to his boxers and willingly did what she asked. As soon as he slid in between the covers and next to the warm body of the woman he loved, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, sighing contently as his eyes drifted shut quickly.

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**We appreciate all of your comments and hope to update soon :).**


	6. Chapter 6

**Firstly, sorry for the long wait. Catherine takes the blame! She's been very busy with her studies and sports. She'll try to do better in the future ;).**

**On with the show!**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_He stripped down to his boxers and willingly did what she asked. As soon as he slid in between the covers and next to the warm body of the woman he loved, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, sighing contently as his eyes drifted shut quickly. _

Chapter 6

When she slowly awoke from her sleep, she felt warm and comfortable. There was no feeling of loneliness. Actually, she felt as if she'd woken up in another life. As if she was getting off to a fresh start. Her eyes fluttered open and settled on the alarm clock. Three in the afternoon. The events of that morning flooded back to her in a steady stream._ I actually told him! I can't believe I did..._

The sniper inside of him immediately reacted to the gentle movements and he woke up. Slowly, savoring the moment, Booth opened his eyes, smiling at his beautiful partner. Relieved that she looked a lot better, more relaxed, he scooted closer to her, brushing his lips against her shoulder. "Did you have a nice nap, Bones?"

She smiled back at him. She'd awoken next to a man many times, yet somehow this felt like a first. Perhaps because this particular man knew her so well and she actually just might return his feelings for her. Maybe it was a bit strange to be lying in bed with her partner, but then, she thought, she wanted to get used to it. "Very nice," she replied, then sat up right and pushed the covers off of her. She planted her bare feet on the carpet floor and pulled her jeans on, then her shirt. She freed her hair and collected it in a bun. "Are you getting up?" she asked her lagging partner.

He would've preferred to just let this moment go on forever, but he realized that they still had various things to discuss. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he reached for his clothes and pulled them on as well. Booth followed her into the living room and just moments later, they were back where they started. On her couch. Booth looked at her, wondering what she'd want to discuss.

"So," she said, "We're really getting ourselves completely into this." She shrugged. "We actually might as well." Smiling at his expression, she continued. "I think it's most important that you cancel your FBI business first and try not to get fired. If Hacker gives you trouble, I'll call him to say that I will not work with another agent. Incidentally, when do you have to move out?"

"I'll call him tomorrow morning. Well, I have to move out tomorrow morning, but I already packed all of my stuff. It's in my car. I - " Booth briefly glanced at the front door, "I wasn't exactly planning on staying and since I didn't want to give up the SUV, I would've had to drive to each conference. I was all set to leave for New York, I just stopped by to listen to what you had to tell me and to tell you that I was leaving." A small smile curled around his lips and he wrapped an arm around Bones, knowing that his rash decision would have hurt her. "I'm really glad it didn't work out though."

She gave him a frown. "I must say I still feel insulted that you didn't discuss your plans with me," she pointed out. Then, teasingly, "You're taking liberties, Agent Booth." Grinning, she stood up, out of his embrace. "I'm hungry. Are you interested in lunch?" She disappeared into the kitchen. "Oh, by the way. You can put the stuff that you need here, if you want."

Booth got up as well and followed her to the kitchen. "Don't you think this is all happening a little fast? Yesterday I was dating Catherine and today I'm moving in with you?" He approached her and took her hands in his. "You don't have to be afraid I''ll change my mind, Bones. If we are going to give this a go, I'll be staying in DC. Don't worry about that, okay?" He looked into her clear blue eyes, "I can see why you'd feel insulted, since I've promised you more than once that I wouldn't leave you, but I didn't feel like I had another choice, Bones. I wasn't in the right mind set to be out in the field, let alone take you with me. I wouldn't have been able to keep you safe."

She turned and leaned against the counter. "I can see that, Booth, I just don't like things changing for the worse between us." She reached out her arm and squeezed his shoulder. "And I agree that it's quick, but I don't see it as a permanent solution." She placed her hand back on the counter next to her. "I would have let you stay here as a friend, so to me it's not that big of a deal. As long as we can take it easy, you know."

He nodded, "Why don't I stay here just until I can find another place to stay? As a friend. We'll take it slow, while we try to work through our issues? We'll just take it one step at a time."

"Agreed." She turned her back to him and opened the fridge. "What do you feel like eating?" Not giving him time to answer, she closed the fridge and turned back to him. "Or... we could get a sandwich somewhere and take a walk through the park. What do you think?"

He smiled at her. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." Together, they walked out of the kitchen, to the hallway, where they grabbed their coats.

Booth helped her into her coat and she smiled gratefully at him. She'd always preferred gentlemen. She buttoned up quickly and put her wallet and keys in her pockets, leaving her purse and cell phone on purpose. "No interruptions," she explained upon Booth's questioning look. "I only feel like talking to you today."

"I like the way you think, Bones." Booth reached into his pocket, retrieved his cell phone and put it down next to hers. "Let's go!" Enthusiastically, he clapped in his hands once, before he opened the door and walked through it. Patiently, he waited until she had safely locked her front door and together they walked out of the building. "So, where do you want to go get something to eat?"

Looping her arm through his, she replied, "There's this new little bistro at the corner closest to the main entrance to the park. I've been wanting to try it for weeks." Booth didn't argue and together they walked towards the less crowded part of the city. "Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?" he responded, enjoying the calm, relaxed, normal atmosphere between them as they strolled through the city.

"I am glad that I told you about what happened to me, because I feel very relieved now. And lighter somehow." She paused a moment. "But I also think about it more often now, and that's not very pleasant." She glanced sideways at him. "I didn't think that after all these years I would remember so vividly. And I feel angry that he took my fertility."

Booth looped his arm around her waist as they continued to walk. "He took more than that, Bones. And it's okay to be angry about that. I'd be worried if you wouldn't be." He held her close to his body, amazed by the inner strength that she carried inside of her. "I'm happy to know that you feel relieved now that you've finally told someone. And if you're thinking about it, without wanting to, just let me know, okay? I can distract you if you want to, or I can listen to what you want to say about those events. Whatever you need. Just - please don't shut me out when it comes to this. You were brave enough to tell me, I hope you'll be just as brave when it comes to telling me when you're thinking about it. I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"I know. I know that." She closed her eyes and leaned into him. "But even though I don't like remembering those days, it has given me a new insight." They had arrived at the corner and they turned to face each other. "Let's first get those sandwiches, and I'll tell you about my plan," she proposed.

"Sure," Booth agreed as he turned towards the bistro and opened the door for her, curious to hear more about her plan.

They waited in line, but didn't have to wait long. Five minutes later, they walked out with two delicious-looking sandwiches in a paper bag which Booth was carrying. Brennan looped her arm through his as they entered the park. The weather was nice, sunlight created warm spots and she could smell the grass and trees. "I want to see a gynaecologist to assess the extent of the scarring on my reproductive organs. I try not to be hopeful, but what if there's a chance something could be fixed?"

They sat down on one of the benches. Booth had picked the one bathed in sunlight, and as they sat down, he turned to his partner. "You've never done that before? Looked into the possibilities of having children after all?" It sounded logical to a certain degree, knowing how she had been telling herself for years that she didn't want kids anyway. On the other hand, it didn't seem like her to not know something about her own body.

"No," she admitted. "I tried to forget about it and at the time, there was nothing the doctor could do for me. Not that I would have had the money for surgery. But now, I - with all the improvements in medical care ..." She shook her head, getting to the point. "If it can be fixed, I want it fixed," she spoke determinedly. "And if not, then at least I tried."

Booth handed her her sandwich as he reached for his own and started chewing on it while he allowed her plan time to sink in. "Would you mind if I come with you?"

"I would appreciate that," she said instantly, looking at him with a sincere expression as if she'd secretly been wanting him to say that. She turned back to her sandwich and took a bite. "I wonder... would I want children if I could have them?"

"Yes. You would," he answered simply, knowing it was the truth.

She thought about that as she chewed, musing that the bistro did offer delicious sandwiches and she would go there more often. She swallowed, saying, "Anyway, I'm not thinking about that. If it turns out I can't have children and I've just realised that I want to..." She shook her head. "It's no use doing that to myself."

"Hey," he spoke softly, turning to her fully, putting his sandwich down on the paper bag, focusing all of his attention on her, "I know that if it turns out you can't conceive, you'll lose something. I understand that, but Temperance... if you and I become a couple, you'll become a mother to my son. I know he'll never be yours, biologically speaking, and neither will adopted children or foster kids, but that wouldn't make them any less ours, would it?"

She fixed her gaze on his eyes, wanting to believe him. "If we were to define parents by sociological definitions, you would be right. I've always been more of a biological person, though. So it would be difficult for me, I think." She paused, frowning, imagining the situation Booth had just sketched. "But I already am very fond of Parker, and I could take care of him and do the things a mother would do. Like, read him a story. Or make him dinner," she reasoned, and eventually, she smiled. "I think I could live with that."

"We shouldn't be jumping to conclusions," he teased her, but he quickly became serious again. "Well, even if you'll never be able to conceive yourself, there is always the possibility of looking for a surrogate? You know? It would be yours, ours, biologically. It's just another option we could consider."

She broke their stare, turning to her sandwich and handing him his. "We really should postpone this conversation," she said as her mind continued on the 'children' chain of thought and she tried with difficulty to stop it. "Let's talk about something else. About..." But she took a while to finish her sentence. There were so many things at the forefront of her mind that she did _not _want to talk about, that it was hard to get to a subject she did want to discuss. "You think of something," she finally said.

He sighed as he looked up at the sky. He remained quiet for a few minutes, pondering how he was going to react. He closed his eyes and spoke softly, "We'll have to talk about the hard stuff eventually, Bones."

"I know." They finished their sandwiches in silence, and Brennan felt much better with something substantial in her stomach, after having thrown up before. "Oh, I have an idea. Maybe we could talk about what we're going to do tonight. What we'll have for dinner, for instance." She grinned at him, knowing how silly it would be to go about their days avoiding the hard topics so instead discussing only the next few hours of their life.

Recognizing the need to just ignore the hard subjects for now, he agreed and tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Mac 'n Cheese. You really have to teach me how to cook that, Bones. It's delicious!" He smiled at her. "I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Please tell me you have everything you need at your apartment," he pleaded with her as he threw in the puppy dog eyes.

She smacked him on the shoulder. "That," she emphasized, "is a secret recipe. Why would I give away something that binds you exclusively to me?" she grinned, then patted his leg. "But you're in luck. I'll cook you Mac 'n Cheese tonight, if you make grilled cheese."

"Deal," he grinned as they both got up.

Back at her apartment, they each kept their promise, having grilled cheese with coffee and then, after having retrieved Booth's essentials from his car, Brennan began on the Mac 'n Cheese. As she was cooking, her thoughts went astray. Now that the memories had been released, yes, All The Evil seemed like a long time ago, no more than a memory. However, the emotions were fresh, and she had to keep pushing them away. It bothered her, and she was glad she had Booth as a distraction.

Booth was in the guestroom, putting his clothes and personal belongings in the room where he would be spending the following days. He wasn't really focused on what he was doing. His mind kept going over everything he had learned about his partner, his Bones, that day. Every now and then, Booth got so angry he had to stop what he was doing and take a deep breath to calm himself down. Now was not the time to let her story get to him. It was obvious to Booth that, even though she clearly didn't want to talk about it anymore, she hadn't dealt with the emotions her own story had uncovered. He sighed as he finished unpacking. It was a cruel world out there, and unfortunately, that was something Temperance Brennan was all too familiar with.

When the Mac 'n Cheese could be left to itself for a little while, Brennan decided, _to hell with it_. She was too tired to do everything on her own any longer. She turned abruptly and knocked on the guest-room door. Actually, she decided just before her knuckles hit the wood, she was not going to knock. She pushed open the door and her eyes immediately located him standing next to the bed, looking up surprised. She didn't want to explain herself, though. She just walked up to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his back, pressing her cheek into his chest. It was probably the first time since her childhood that she purposefully had sought out comfort from another human being. And god, it felt nice.

He was pleasantly surprised by her unexpected actions. Here he was, doing his very best, holding himself back, giving her space, and apparently all she wanted was some comfort. He wrapped his arms around her body, pressing her close to his. He gently started to rock both of them back and forth, resting his cheek agaist the top of her head. "I'm here, Bones. I'm not going anywhere."

She said nothing, but absorbed the reassurance and gentleness from his presence. She'd always assumed nobody could understand how the violence from All The Evil had changed her. Maimed her. Held her prisoner forever. She'd experienced such intense fear that it had scarred her heart. But now her world was upside down. Her eyes had been opened. Maybe there was a possibility for some healing, after all. Maybe Booth could give that to her. And if he was capable of doing THAT... then what was keeping her from loving him? Brennan was still clinging to the man who sometimes seemed to know her better than herself. She tipped up her chin and kissed the angle of his jaw tenderly. Looking intently at his face, she moved up to his cheek, the corner of his mouth, and then, she pressed her lips to his.

Booth continued to hold her close to his body, caressing her back with slow, steady movements as she kissed him and he slowly kissed her back. It was a gentle, tender kiss, meant to comfort her. He had no idea where he stood, where they stood, but for once, this time, he didn't really care. She was opening up to him and allowing him to be there for her. He couldn't possibly ask for more.

She was fully aware that she was kissing him like a grown woman, but at the same time, she was clinging to him like the child that was raped and betrayed and would be too scared to trust anyone until well into her adult years.

She continued to kiss him, so he didn't pull away from her, knowing how hard it must've been to show her vulnerable side. He took a step back taking her with him and as soon as he felt the bed behind him, he sat down, pulling her down with him, so she was sitting on his lap. He wrapped one arm around her waist, placing the other over her legs, her feet barely touching the floor on his right side. Booth gently placed his hand on her neck, playing with the soft strands of hair as he continued to kiss her, offering his love and comfort.

She curled up and into him, the way he was holding her being exactly what she needed. They maintained the contact between their lips, and it was the most loving, respectful kiss she'd ever shared with someone. "You were right," she eventually whispered against his lips, not moving away her face from his. "I do want you to protect me." She slowly closed her eyes and angled her face to continue their kiss.

Booth pressed his lips against hers, encircling her body with his arms, trying to show her he WOULD protect her. He started a comforting rocking motion with his body, like he would do with Parker after particularly vivid nightmares. He wished he could simply rock away what had been done to her, but he knew he couldn't. However, there was a way to deal with what had happened to her. He couldn't undo it, no matter how much he wanted to, but by talking about it and most importantly letting her talk about it, he could take the power - which the memories still had over her - away. He ended their kiss and he pressed his lips against her forehead before he spoke up. "I'll always protect you, Bones. And I - I want you to understand something." Booth cleared his throat as he tipped her chin up with his index finger and whispered, "What happened to you was NOT part of some deal, okay Temperance? You did NOT agree to ANY of this. He hurt you, he took advantage of you and then he scared you into silence. This was not your fault. Do you believe me, sweetheart?" He knew how she felt about terms of endearment, but when he saw that hint of despair and longing for understanding, respect and love appear in her beautiful eyes, he simply couldn't hold it back.

Her eyes filled with tears and she heaved a big sigh. If she'd know that it was as simple as for him to say those words for her to get so much of the weight lifted off her shoulders, she would have come clean a long time ago. "I have never doubted your judgement on these matters," she told him with a slight smile, and kissed him again. "Thank you. For everything. For... for taking the trouble to get to know me. All about me. You didn't have to do that, but you did," she spoke meaningfully.

"Thank you for letting me in, Bones." He rested his forehead against hers. "I'm glad I know you. You're a very special, beautiful woman, Bones." he told her truthfully, looking into her eyes, wrapping both arms around her waist.

She gently ended the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder. Then, she jumped up. "Dinner!" she rushed to explain as she leapt off his lap and made an attempt to save her Mac 'n Cheese. When nothing seemed burned or otherwise ruined, she heaved a sigh of relief. Booth really deserved a good meal. Quickly, she put two plates on the table with the Mac 'n Cheese in between. When her partner appeared in the doorway of the guest room, she smiled at him. "Don't worry; it wasn't ruined."

"I wasn't worried. And I wouldn't have cared if it was, Bones." He approached her and cupped her cheek. "You're far more important. And if you want a hug or a kiss, you know where to find me, okay?"

She smiled shyly, nodding once and holding his gaze for another moment, then indicating the table with her head. "We shouldn't let it grow cold," she said softly.

He smiled at her before he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You're right, we shouldn't. Let's eat." He sat down at the table and scooped up a generous portion for the both of them.

Brennan gasped when he plopped the more than generous amount of food on her plate. "Uhm, you are overestimating my degree of hunger," she laughed. "I'm afraid I feasted on your grilled cheese. I made this bit extra for you, or to save for tomorrow," she explained, shaking her head at him, smiling still. His expression was just so funny. Somehow he managed to look very child-like sometimes, and at those moments he looked more like Parker than the boy looked like his father.

"We'll see. If there are any leftovers, we'll see what we'll do with them. You can't possibly know what you'll do with leftovers, before you have actual food that was left over." He scooped up a forkful of the delicious gooey-looking food and smiled at her. "I'm going to enjoy this," he winked at her and put it in his mouth. He groaned appreciatively and smiled, "You are never getting rid of me now, Bones. I'll never find Mac 'n Cheese as good as it is here. I might just have to stay here all together," he said, before he continued to eat.

And for whatever reason, that statement didn't surprise or bother her at all. Her rational side might have objected, but now that she was in this emotional state, she found that her feelings were okay with that. Feelings, after all, lived in the present, and not the future. So, she laughed heartily, and simply replied, "Well, I guess in that case, you'll have to." And she took another bite. "Hm. This IS good."

He was taken aback by her answer and was glad he had already swallowed his mouthful of macaroni. "You're okay with that? With me staying? Here? With you? For an undetermined amount of time?"

She swallowed her food so she could answer. "Crazy as it might be, yes, I find myself okay with that. We'll see how things work out. That's what I think." She paused a moment, then added laughing, "And that's the first time I'm thinking something like that. Consider yourself honoured," she said, pointing her fork in his direction.

"I do," he told her honestly, knowing exactly how big of a deal this was for her. He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to overwhelm her, but reminded by the fact that she had taken a chance, he decided it was worth the risk. He took her fork and put it down next to her plate, entwining their fingers. "This doesn't change anything for me, Bones." He looked at her, "I mean, whether or not you can have kids, what happened to you all those years ago. I still want to give us a try. You don't have to give me an answer to that right now, but I -" He took a deep breath, before he softly added, " I love you and I want you to know that - I want you to know that you are loved in this world. That there are people who would give their life to protect you. Who care about you and who would be devastated if anything ever happened to you. You are loved, honey, and I just needed you to know that."

She looked at their hands. Hers, light and long; his, darker and more square. So different; but they fit together so well. Arching her eyebrows at the analogy, she looked at him. "Okay. I'll try to remember that."

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**We wish all of you a good Sunday and we hope you have enjoyed this part!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy ;).**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_She looked at their hands. Hers, light and long; his, darker and more square. So different; but they fit together so well. Arching her eyebrows at the analogy, she looked at him. "Okay. I'll try to remember that." _

Chapter 7

They were sitting in the waiting room in the fertility clinic. After their dinner a few days ago, Booth had refrained from starting any new conversations about the subject as well as pushing her on what the impact was on their partnership, on them. However, he had continued to spend time with her, as much as she would allow, in an effort to try and make sure she knew that this didn't change anything for him. Booth found that he still had feelings for her and even though he hadn't wanted to be too obvious about them, when she had told him about her appointment, he had asked her if he could come with her and she had confirmed that she wanted him there. She actually wanted him there, to support her. It made him feel useful, grateful that he could help. When the nurse entered the waiting room and called out her name, he encouragingly squeezed her hand and together they rose from the cold uncomfortable chairs, typical for waiting rooms.

Brennan heaved a big sigh that did not release any of her nervous tension. She had long ago sought out Booth's comfort, taking his hand and gripping it tightly. Now, she rested her heavy head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Booth pressed a kiss to her hair, and she smiled slightly. Then, her name was called and Booth pulled her up, following the nurse into the doctor's exam room. Her grip on Booth's hand tightened. Why was she nervous for this? The outcome of this examination wouldn't change anything for her. She did not want kids! She didn't! She didn't care if her body was able to accommodate a conception. She didn't. The thing she wasn't comfortable with, however, was for others to see her scars. To somehow confirm they were there. And that was exactly what she was going to allow to happen today.

Booth could feel her grip on his hand tightening as they rose. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and together they followed the nurse into the waiting room. The nurse told them the doctor would be with them in a minute and left with a polite smile. Booth turned to his partner and gently rubbed her upper arms, looking into her eyes. He could feel the tension in her body, letting him know how nervous she really was. He wanted to tell her to relax, but knowing the importance of this doctor's visit and the details of the circumstances that had taken this away from her, silenced him. After a few moments he simply took a step towards her, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her body against his, offered silent reassurance.

She leaned against him, closing her eyes, letting him hold her. After a few moments, she took a shuddering breath and braced herself. She slowly pulled away and nodded towards him. She was okay. She'd be fine. The doctor happened to walk in at that moment and he shook their hands, introducing himself as Balraj Singh Bindra. He seemed like a kind, Indian doctor, who invited them to sit with a slight bow and large arm gesture. They sat.

Sitting down, Booth moved his chair so he could reach out and hold her hand in his. The doctor was looking at them expectantly and Booth tenderly moved his thumb across the back of her hand, silently encouraging her to speak up. Remembering her words about fearing to be placed back into foster care, he turned to face her and looked her in the eye, nodding slowly, wanting her to realize that she was never going to be treated like that again, not as long as he had a breath of air in his lungs.

Booth was being very supportive, and she appreciated that. _Thanks_, her expression said, and then she turned to the doctor. "We spoke on the phone. I'm here to determine whether or not I'm biologically able to have children."

The doctor folded his earth-coloured hands on the table in front of him and nodded towards her. "Yes. Would you please tell me why you doubt your fertility? Have you been trying to accomplish pregnancy for a long time?"

Brennan blushed and glanced at Booth, understanding the doctor's assumption. "No," she finally replied. "I - When I was seventeen I was infected with bacteria and at the time, the doctor told me I had scarring due to the inflammation to such an extent that I would not be able to have children." She paused.

"I see," the doctor said patiently. Brennan continued. "And now I would like a second opinion. I mean, I want to know how bad it is and whether there's anything that can be done about it," she spoke strongly.

Squeezing her hand, Booth continued to look at her, silently encouraging her to tell the doctor the entire story. Well maybe not the entire story, but the part about being raped seemed pretty important to Booth, as well as the fact that she had said she hadn't been able to move for about a week and had healed from the assault by laying in bed. When she didn't immediately speak up, he turned towards the doctor. "I'm sorry, but could we have a moment, please?" The doctor nodded and they exited the room. Before he closed the door, Booth assured the doctor they would return in a few minutes. After they had left the room, Booth turned to his Bones. "Bones, I know this must be hard to talk about and I'm not saying you have to go into detail, but I think you need to tell him more about what happened to you."

She was rigid in his grasp as he loosely had his hand on her arm. She glanced around as though trying to find an exit. "I was going to let him observe objectively. What does it matter that I was raped?" she whispered, getting close to his face.

Booth was about to tell her the doctor would be more gentle and patient with her if he knew, but he decided to go for the rational approach. "Bones, he does this for a living, do you really think he won't be able to figure it out for himself?"

She looked at him, her expression stubborn. "No. I do not see the point in him knowing."

"Well, what are you going to tell him if he asks you to describe the way you got the infection? What if he wants to know the amount of pain you were in?" Booth shook his head, "How is he supposed to come to a diagnosis without all the facts? You would never do that, how can you expect another doctor to do it?"

She held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll tell him. Some." She turned quickly and opened the door. "My partner thinks it's important that you know I got the infection from a rape and I did not receive any medical treatment. I - I - That's it," she said brusquely, and only then sat back down, her fingers curling around her hands.

As he walked into the room again and walked past her, he squeezed her shoulder before he sat back down and entwined their fingers. She hadn't quite put it the way he would've put it, but at least it was out there and he felt proud she had been able to tell the doctor.

Doctor Singh Bindra looked at her a while in respectful silence. "I am sorry that happened to you, Dr Brennan. If there is anything I can do to make you more comfortable, please do not hesitate to let me know."

Brennan nodded her head once. "Thank you. Do you need to know anything else?" This was said halfly to Booth.

Deciding that maybe he should just add the part where she had spent a week in bed, unable to move. He knew how much she would hate to admit that, so he added, "Maybe it would help the doctor to know that you were in a lot of pain for quite some time?"

Brennan gave him an exasperated look to save her reputation, but secretly she found it sweet; the way he was concerned for her well-being. She glanced at the doctor, then at the desk. "I lay in bed for a week because -" her eyes snapped back up to the doctor. Why was she avoiding his gaze like she was ashamed? She wasn't, damn it! "I couldn't move because of the pain. I passed out a lot. And later,when I - Sometimes it still hurts a little during intercourse." She was so not meeting Booth's eye, but even if the doctor couldn't help with the fertility issue, maybe he could help her with the pain issue.

Booth tensed at her revelation and he felt a bit better about having pushed the issue, realizing that he never would've known this little bit of information if he hadn't convinced her to be completely honest to her doctor. Coming to the conclusion that this was neither the place nor the time to talk about this, he remained silent._ No wonder she talks about sex the way she usually does. In her experience it probably is only about getting physical satisfaction as quickly as possible. Giving her body what it needs._ Booth filed away the piece of information and the conclusions he had come to, to discuss it with her at a more appropriate time.

Doctor Singh Bindra nodded thoughtfully. "If I can help you, I will, Dr Brennan."

Brennan took a breath. "Okay. Can we start?" The doctor pointed to a curtain behind which was the exam table. "Of course. Please change behind the curtain and let me know when you are ready." She got to her feet and disappeared behind the curtain, taking a few breaths to calm herself, wondering why she did not want to take her clothes off. He was a doctor, a professional, just like herself. But ever since those memories had resurfaced, she felt vulnerable without her clothes on. And she hated that feeling. Nevertheless, she was a rational being and knew the exam would be for her own benefit. So she changed into the hospital gown and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm ready," she announced.

Booth wanted to follow the doctor, but his sense of modesty confined him to his chair. Yes, they were partners and yes, he knew what had happened to her. He was the only one who knew, well except the doctor of course, and he didn't know any of the details. But still... he wasn't really sure what she wanted from him. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to join them and hold her hand and look in her eyes and convince her that she was doing the right thing. Instead, he sighed and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, forcing himself to stay seated. Hoping that she would simply call out to him if she wanted him there.

Doctor Singh Binda entered and closed the curtain behind him. Brennan lay back on the table and the doctor got ready. She kept her gaze focused on the ceiling, so many thoughts flying through her head that she couldn't tell what she was thinking. She had her hands folded on the slight indentation just below her ribcage, letting the doctor position her legs. She wondered whether she wanted Booth in there or if she'd be more comfortable on her own. Well, she could always call out to him. He was just on the other side of the curtain, after all.

"I will perform a transvaginal ultrasound to visualise the scarring. Are you ready for me to start?"

She kept her eyes on the ceiling and nodded. Doctor Singh Binda worked gently, and despite the sensations being uncomfortable, it didn't hurt. He was watching the images of her genital tract with a frown of concentration on his face. She dared not even glance at the screen. Why was he being silent? Or did it only seem as if he was? Then, she felt him go deeper. As he pushed the device against that one spot that hurt her during sex, she gasped in pain and grabbed the sides of the exam table. Immediately, the doctor stopped.

"That's a scar," he told her.

As her gasp was heard clearly throughout the entire room, Booth sat up right and only held himself back with the knowledge that she was strong and would call for him if she needed his help. When he heard the doctor's comment, he felt his anger intensify towards the bastard of a foster father who had taken advantage of a young insecure girl. When she didn't call his name, he took a deep breath and forced himself to relax his muscles again.

What the doctor said next, horrified her.

"And I am afraid I need to push a little bit further. I am sorry. Would you like me to get Mr Booth to distract you?"

She looked disbelievingly at him. Push further? That was impossible! Excruciating. She had allowed _no one_ to push further once they'd touched that spot. And how was Booth supposed to help her through this? He couldn't take away the pain, she thought indignantly. But then, she had come this far and she was getting it done. She nodded her head, wondering whether Booth would be so kind to punch her in the temple so she'd lose consciousness for a while. "Yes."

Booth rose as soon as he heard her answer. It wasn't like he had been eavesdropping, but a curtain was certainly not enough to ensure a private conversation. He wasn't really sure how he would distract her yet, but he knew he would find a way. He pushed the curtain back and made eye contact with her as soon as he could. He approached her and reached for her hand. He curled his fingers around hers and looked into her eyes. "I'm here, Bones." Booth kept his voice calm and reassuring as he looked at her. He hadn't been sure how he was supposed to distract her, but as soon as he carefully sat down on the bed, he knew what he wanted to say to her. He gently brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "You are so strong and beautiful, Bones. You have no idea how brave you really are."

_Not very brav_e, she finished in her head. How could he even say such things when she was lying here in this position, sweat lining her forehead? The doctor offered Booth a stool, and he took it, not letting go of her hand. She gripped his tightly.

He sat down on the stool the doctor had handed him and chuckled mirthlessly as he turned towards her. "You don't believe a word I've said, do you?" He leaned closer and pressed his lips to her cheek. "It's true, though. You are so strong, so determined to fight for the truth. So brave. Fearless even. And yes, I know that there are things that do scare you, but you don't let them control your life." He squeezed her hand and sat back. "I wish you could see what I see, Bones."

"I would be deceived because you are in love with me," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Is that really what you think is the reason I see all those things? Because I love you? Nah, Bones," he squeezed her hands, "I'm sure every single one of the families of the people whose body you identified would agree with me. You are relentless in your search for the truth, to give people back their voice. You are very brave and they would definitely agree with that." Booth continued to talk to her, engaging her in conversation, keeping the tone of the conversation as light and easy as he could, knowing the doctor was about to do something - he had no idea what exactly, but he knew it was probably going to be painful and he wanted her attention focused on him. Not on the doctor and what he was doing.

She couldn't help a slight smile as she shook her head at him. It was pointless to argue.

"Dr Brennan, are you ready for me to continue?" the doctor interrupted.

Her smile vanished and she braced herself as at the same time she tried to relax. "Okay." She felt the device move in slowly, but she tensed impossibly as the tip of it touched the scar. "Wait, wait. Please."

Even though he knew the doctor would wait, Booth couldn't help himself as he turned around and cast a warning look at the doctor, who had stopped moving. He turned back to his partner and looked into her eyes. "What's the matter, Bones?"

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. "It's nothing. Never mind. Go on." It was physical pain. She could overcome that. Her hand found his and tucked it under her chin. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing.

He gently squeezed her hand, "Bones, look at me please." When she did what he had asked, he spoke softly, "It's not nothing." He could understand her need to compartmentalize, but he was reluctant to allow her to withdraw. He also realized that this wasn't the most opportune time to push her. "Are you sure you're ready?"

She sighed. "No, it's not nothing. But it has to be done. And it's just a pain. I can handle it, I just need to be prepared."

"Are you sure you're ready?" he quietly asked her. When he felt her squeeze his hand, he softly caressed her cheek. He looked into her eyes, smiling slowly. "You have to tell me what the secret ingredient is in your Mac 'n Cheese." He hoped he would be able to distract her.

She glanced at the doctor as a sign to tell him she was ready. A second later, she felt the pressure inside her increase, and her face contorted. "Never," she told Booth through clenched teeth.

"Awe, come on, Bones! If you tell me how to make your Mac 'n Cheese, I'll tell you how to make my grilled cheese sandwishes." He waggled his eyebrows as he gently squeezed her hand, trying to distract her, but simultaneously letting her know he was taking her pain seriously.

"I'd rather have you make me those," she groaned. The pain between her legs became nearly unbearable and she tried desperately to relax. "Will you make them today?" _Focus_, she told herself_. Focus on grilled cheese._

"Of course I will. You know what? We'll watch a movie and I'll make us some grilled cheese sandwiches. What do you think?" He tried to occupy her mind, asking her questions, knowing she'd use the opportunity to keep herself distracted from what the doctor was doing.

"What -" she clenched her jaw, sweat covering her forehead, "movie?" Doctor Singh Binda might as well have been torturing her with a knife. As if he was stretching the sensitive scar until it broke. Finally, it did break. Or at least it felt like she'd been tore apart. She yelped and covered her mouth with her hands, falling back into the exam table feeling deeply unhappy.

"I am so sorry," the doctor said, "I caused a small tear, but I had to. We have a clear picture now. Please hang in for just a little while longer, it is almost done."

Brennan nodded her head, unable to speak, still pressing her hands to her mouth. It was almost done. Almost over.

Booth gently caressed her auburn curls, whispering soothing nonsense to her, hoping to be able to keep her calm enough so she was able to finish the exam. He couldn't even imagine the pain she had been through and was going through. But he knew one thing: he was going to be there for her. She had been through enough, she had been hurt and abandoned enough and he would not add himself to the list of people who had hurt her so deeply. He felt grateful towards her for telling him, for giving him yet another reason to stay. He pressed a soft kiss to her hair, feeling his guts clench at the mere thought that he would've left her if she hadn't confided in him. She deserved better and he was going to make sure she received the caring love and devotion she deserved.

Just when the nausea and lightheadedness from the pain were wearing her out to the point where she couldn't take it anymore, she felt the instrument being removed. She'd been holding her breath and lying as still as possible. Now, she breathed out. And in. And out. And noticed doctor Singh Binda put the instrument on the tray before he retrieved a disinfectant wipe. There was blood on the long, narrow white piece of technology. Her blood. A horrendous sight. She averted her head and looked at Booth, heaving a big sigh. "He's done," she said, relieved.

Booth simply nodded, his attention focused on the incredible strong woman in front of him. "I suppose I best let you get dressed then?" He didn't really want to leave her side, but after what had just happened, after she'd been through such a painful examination, he thought she might want to leave the hospital as soon as possible. He continued to caress her hair, reluctant to end their physical contact.

"Dr Brennan, you may get dressed. I will review the ultrasound at my desk and when you join us, I will be able to give you an answer, I hope."

The doctor left the area closed off by the curtain, and once they were alone, Brennan swung her arms around Booth's shoulders, pulling him tightly against her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," she said in a hushed voice in his ear, then kissed his cheek. She was so grateful for his support, for his - seemingly infinite love for her. She just couldn't seem to be able to scare him away. Slowly, she was beginning to gather faith that he might be the one who stayed.

As she wrapped her arms around him, he returned her embrace, holding her close to him. "Hey, you don't need to thank me, Bones. I was glad you wanted me here." He hesitated before he tenderly squeezed her body in his arms. "Are you okay, Temperance?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah. I'm okay." She wasn't feeling her best, but she was, indeed, okay. She let go of him and lowered herself to the floor. Her bare feet met with the cold linoleum, but the room was warm enough.

He nodded his head as well and rose from the stool he had been sitting on. "I'll let you get dressed." Slightly reassured that she was somewhat okay, he reached for the curtain. When she didn't stop him, he disappeared behind the curtain and joined the doctor. A few minutes later, she walked back out and joined them.

Brennan lowered herself into the chair with difficulty that she tried to mask with a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "So," she said nervously, "what are your findings?" She twisted her fingers in her lap as she looked expectantly at the doctor, who in turn fixed his gaze on his computer screen.

"Mm, yes. Well. You can come take a look if you want."

Booth hadn't missed the brief flash of pain in her eyes and the fake smile she had used to cover it up. "Why don't you go take a look, Bones?" Booth hoped it would further distract her from the pain she was in and a part of him believed that it would be benificial in the long run if she finally faced her secret. Quite literally. If she could no longer have kids, it would give her some closure and if she still was able to conceive, it would be helpful to start the process of accepting what had happened to her and to adress her reluctancy to have children of her own.

Brennan nodded and pushed herself up off the armrests of the chair. She rounded the desk with clenched fists to distract her from the pain. Doctor Singh Binda explained what she was seeing on the screen, and pointed out the scarred patches on her genital tract and endometrium - the lining of the uterus. The latter, fortunately, was mostly intact. Her eyes hardened as she focused on the spots that represented her scars. It looked bad, but at the same time it was not as bad as she'd imagined. "Can you do something about any of these?" she asked him, building up to the Big Question. Doctor Singh Binda's response sped up her heartrate and made her feel slightly light-headed.

"Oh, definitely."

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**_Focus on cheese sandwiches. _****You can't say we're not original, now ;).**

******So, a pretty intense chapter. What are your thoughts? And does this mean Brennan could still conceive in a natural way? Please stay tuned to find out.**

******To those of you celebrating: Happy Easter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**We know that some of you were wondering about Booth's job and whether or not he will be trying to find the SOB who sexually abused Brennan as a teen. ****To put your mind at ease, Hacker did give Booth his job back, but he is on leave for the period in which he would be going away, so for the next six months. ****In regards to whether or not Booth will start an investigation of his own, he will not. Brennan asked him to let it go, and he is respecting her choice, choosing to focus on the present and the future they could have together, rather than focusing on the past and starting an investigation of his own, knowing that it's not what she wants.**

**We hope this explains it! It might not be absolutely complete, but it's a choice we made: focus on the present and the future.**

**Thank you all for the reviews! We really appreciate it!**

**Now, on to the next chapter!**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_Brennan nodded and pushed herself up off the armrests of the chair. She rounded the desk with clenched fists to distract her from the pain. Doctor Singh Binda explained what she was seeing on the screen, and pointed out the scarred patches on her genital tract and endometrium - the lining of the uterus. The latter, fortunately, was mostly intact. Her eyes hardened as she focused on the spots that represented her scars. It looked bad, but at the same time it was not as bad as she'd imagined. "Can you do something about any of these?" she asked him, building up to the Big Question. Doctor Singh Binda's response sped up her heartrate and made her feel slightly light-headed._

_"Oh, definitely."_

Chapter 8:

Well that was good! That was what they wanted to hear, right? That something could be done. That somehow, it would once again become_ her_ choice whether or not she wanted to have children of her own. To give her back the possibility of being pregnant, of feeling life grow inside of her. Booth sat up a little straighter and he could see her inner turmoil reflected in her body language. Her hands were clenched into fists, which told Booth she was still in pain no matter how badly she was trying to hide it. Her eyes were narrowed and she had that intense look on her face, the look he knew so well. It was the same look she wore while examining remains. When she squared her shoulders, he knew she was going to ask something important. He had an idea of what that question could be, but with his partner, one could never be sure.

"How much can be done?" she asked carefully.

"I will be honest," the doctor began, "I do not know about some of these cleavages. But I can tell you that yes, at the moment you are infertile. That is a certainty, see, because of these cleavages right here." He pointed out three spots on her fallopian tubes. "Sperm will never reach your eggs. Simply because the passages are blocked. See?" He pointed out the scars again, unnecessarily.

She could see it clearly. And felt her heart sink. The world came to a halt around her, until her breathing was the only sound as she witnessed the scars that All The Evil had left behind. The bigger scar that they represented. Infertility. She had been brutally robbed of her biological right to have children.

He could see her still. Her breathing became shallow and the hope that had been reflected in her eyes died down. Booth decided to interfere. "You said at the moment, doc. What exactly do you mean by that? That you can change it? Or that you simply don't know at this point whether or not it can be changed?"

The sudden sound of the doctor's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I want to try to reconstruct the fallopian tubes. This will of course involve surgery. And I can definitely remove the scar tissue that is causing the pain during intercourse. I can help you, Dr Brennan, but I cannot promise you I can restore your fertility."

Uncharacteristically, this was suddenly going too fast for her. Automatically, she looked at her partner.

Booth could see she was confused, so he rose from his seat and walked towards her. He placed his hand on her back and tenderly started to move his hand in small soothing circles. Even though he was still addressing her, it was clear that his words were meant for the doctor. "Why don't you let the doctor explain what that entails exactly and then maybe we could go home and let it sink in. How 'bout it, Bones?"

Booth's touch fully awakened her. "No, I understand. I'll have the surgery, doctor Singh Binda. Thank you."

The Indian doctor nodded his head. "Thank you for putting your trust in me. I will do everything I can to ensure a positive outcome." He rose. "I will call you with a date for your surgery after having checked the OR schedule. Do you have any further questions? You can always call me if you think of anything you want to know at a later point."

Brennan straightened. "What is the recovery time from the surgery?"

The doctor had an answer at the ready. "Depends. But I would say definitely two days. You can do what feels right, but you will have to try not to force anything. Rest as much as possible until you feel absolutely ready to exert yourself."

Brennan nodded her head. "Thank you."

"Whoa, just a second here," Booth was glad he was no longer sitting in his chair, because he gently held her in place. "You two are going awfully fast. I'm afraid I have a few questions of my own. How complicated is this surgery? How dangerous is it? What is the possibility that it will be successful?" Booth pointedly looked at the doctor. "Do you even have experience with these kinds of surgeries? Will you be performing the surgery? Or will someone else do it?" Booth stared at them. "That's what I'd like to know."

He was being concerned for her again, Brennan realized. She hadn't even thought to ask those questions.

Calmly, the doctor answered. "It is not complicated to remove the scar tissue. It will be tricky to reconstruct the fallopian tubes - parts of them, at least, but I am one of the best in my field. Hence the fancy office," he gestured around the room, illustrating his point. These kinds of facilities only hired the very best, because they could afford it. "Every surgery carries risks. Theoretically speaking, I could sever an artery. Of course, that is possible. I minimize the chance of that happening, though. Naturally, I will go through a more extensive list of risks once I have asked a few of my colleagues for advice on the procedure and I have a clear picture of it myself. I would consider this a fairly low-risk procedure, though, because I cannot render Dr Brennan more extensively infertile than is the case at present. I have never reconstructed a fallopian tube, but I know a few fellow surgeons who have. I will ask them for advice and if they are interested and Dr Brennan has no objections, one or two of them might like to help. Does that answer your questions, Mr Booth?"

"Yes. Thank you." He turned to the woman standing next to him. "Do you have any more questions, Bones?"

"Not at the moment. All of it sounds very acceptable to me."

The doctor shook their hands. "I will call you within a week, Dr Brennan. If you experience pain from the ultrasound, I recommend you make use of regular pain killers. The laesion might bleed a little, but that will not last, so it is nothing to worry about," he informed her kindly. "All right. Thank you."

Booth nodded politely at the doctor as he steered her out the hospital room. They walked next to each other and after a few steps, Booth entwined his fingers with hers. "I'm really proud of you, you know that?" he told her as they exited the hospital and walked to his SUV.

She shrugged, just feeling exhausted, really. "Why?"

"Because you are being brave enough to deal with the situation as it is and determined to make it better." He hugged her close before he opened the doors of the SUV.

"Okay," she mumbled tiredly and climbed in, fastened her seat belt. She leaned against the headrest but sat a little rigidly, still feeling a phantom version of the ultrasound device between her legs. It was very uncomfortable, and she hoped traffic would be kind to them.

Booth slightly frowned as he noticed the tension in her body and the slight frown. "Maybe it's better if you lie down?" he suggested as he gestured towards the backseat.

She glanced over her shoulder. "I'm not an invalid," she protested.

"No, you aren't." Booth's tone was reassuring and soothing. He engaged the engine and moved the car into DC traffic, doing his best to keep the movements of the car smooth. "So, what do you think, Bones?" Booth wanted to discuss what the doctor had said with her, but he had the inkling that she had already made up her mind.

"I think that I will wait to think anything until after the surgery. That's what I think." She paused. "And I'm definitely having the surgery." She looked at her partner behind the wheel, making sure they got home safely, as always. "What do _you_ think?"

"I think you shouldn't decide yet whether or not you want to have the surgery. Let it sink in a little, Bones. Think about the pros, the cons. Your reasoning behind it." He sighed. "I think this is one of those things you have to do for the right reasons, 'cause if you don't, the surgery won't fix anything."

Too tired to argue, she reached over and placed her hand over his where it rested on the gearstick. "Thank you for being there today. You made it much more comfortable for me."

The ride home was spent in silence, both of them thinking about the things they had learned from the doctors visit. One thing was certain, the ability to have a baby - or better said, the lack of said ability - affected his partner a lot more than Booth ever would have suspected. She had so much love to give, and up until now he had always just assumed she wasn't aware of it, but after today, Booth realized that perhaps she had been aware of it, but had just ignored it all together. He parked the car as gently and slowly as he could, trying to refrain from bumping into the sidewalk. As soon as they got out, Booth locked the car and wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her to her own apartment. After they had entered, he turned to look at her. "Temperance, you look really tired. Do you want to get some rest?"

She looked up at him. He was so, so sweet and kind to her. So understanding. Why hadn't he fallen in love with a woman who could actually give him what he wished for, what he deserved? Poor him. On the other hand, he made her so happy. Happy in a general sense. Security. Not being completely alone in everything all the time. Someone who would take care of her no matter what, and for whom she would do the same in a heartbeat. Someone with the softest brown eyes in the world. She nodded quietly and leaned into him.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he gently walked both of them to her bedroom. He opened the door and turned on the light. "Why don't you change into something comfortable and settle down? I'll be back in a few moments with some painkillers and a glass of water." He pressed his lips against her cheek, before he slowly released her. "Okay?"

She held onto his hand a moment longer. "Okay," she smiled softly. "But I'll go lie on the couch for a bit. I don't really want to sleep now, or I'll lie awake all night, you know."

"How about you get comfortable _on_ the bed instead of under the covers and I'll join you in a minute? I can set up the laptop and we can watch a movie? Or talk, if you prefer that."

"Really, the couch will be fine. And with the window open, some fresh air will be nice. I'm a bit nauseous."

"Sure, Bones. Change, go get comfy and I'll be with you in a few seconds, with a painkiller." Booth left and headed for the bathroom in search of some kind of painkiller to help her relax and to ease her pain. At least the physical pain would be easy to soothe and he was grateful for that.

She quickly changed into soft, comfortable black pants and a black t-shirt with a blue cardigan. Before going to the living room, she went to the bathroom. It was a good thing she'd brought clean underwear; she'd been bleeding. Also, she was still hurting. She quickly changed the underwear and dropped the bloodied panties into the laundry basket in the small room adjacent to the bathroom.

In the living room, she found a glass of water with a pain killer next to it. She smiled a small smile. Sweet Booth, always thoughtful. But where was he? She swallowed the pill and downed some water, then climbed onto the couch and leaned against the armrest, pulling up her knees to her chest.

After Booth had placed a glass of water and a painkiller in the living room, he made his way back into the kitchen to start boiling water to prepare some tea. He left the kitchen and walked into the bedroom, where he grabbed a blanket and her pillow. He walked back out and by the time he reached the living room, he found his partner curled up on the couch. He approached her and draped the blanket over her. "I was going to make some tea. Do you want some milk or something else in yours?" He handed the pillow to her as he gently tucked the blanket around her.

She snuggled into the blanket, closing her eyes. "Milk would be nice. Thank you." As he was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something. "Booth." She sat up right.

"Yeah, Bones?" He turned back to her as she called out his name.

"Are you still going to make grilled cheese sandwiches like you promised today?" she asked him with a smile as she looked up into his warm brown eyes.

He smiled at her. "Yeah, Bones. I will. And I'll even make you a salad on the side if you want me to?"

"That would be great. I'm starving. But let's have tea before I dismiss you to the kitchen." She rested her bent arms over the armrest and put her chin on her hands as she watched him disappear into the kitchen after agreeing with her. The mere form of his body was reassuring to her. Strong legs that could carry more than his own weight, slender hips and broad shoulders. And then, of course, a symmetrical face to top off the perfectly sculpted physique. She shook her head to herself, feeling silly.

By the time he re-entered the kitchen, the water was boiling. He quickly grabbed a cup and poured some of the water into hers. He added the sachet and opened the fridge to grab the milk. He took out the lettuce as well and quickly scanned the content of her refrigerator. He grabbed tomatoes, cucumbers, and anything else that he could use. Before he continued to prepare the salad, he added some milk to her cup and carried it back to the living room.

"Thanks," she said as she sat up and patted the spot beside her. "Will you sit with me while we drink our tea?"

She looked up hopefully at him. He hesitated for a brief second, thinking about the salad he had intended to start preparing after he returned to the kitchen. He walked towards her and sat down anyway, enjoying the mere fact that she actually wanted him close.

She put her cup on the table and swung her arms around his neck. Then, sitting halfway on his lap, the blanket pooling around her waist, she angled her head and kissed him softly on the lips. She wanted to disappear into him, to feel like she wasn't in her own body for a few moments. Of course, the other reason was that it was simply very enjoyable to be kissing Booth.

He was surprised by her actions, but luckily his body - which had been yearning her touch - immediately reacted by wrapping his arms around her, holding her close, returning her kiss. He tenderly caressed her curls with the tips of his fingers while he draped the blanket over them with his other hand. He wanted to ask her if she was okay, but he realized how silly that question would sound right now, so he settled for pressing her to his body, enjoying their physical closeness.

The blanket had made her feel nice and warm, but the heat of his body felt so much better. She wanted to bury herself in him, to feel what it was like to have a heart like his. She initiated tongue contact as he created tingles in her spine with his fingertips massaging her scalp. She put one of her hands over his cheek and angled their heads for optimum contact. And with his big arms all around her, she almost did feel as if she was inside of him, one with him.

He relaxed into her touch as she made it clear that she really wanted this. Tightening his grip around her, Booth leaned back into the couch, wanting her to take as much comfort from him as she possibly could. He slowly pulled back from her and guided her head down onto his shoulder, sighing as he held her close to him. "Do you want your cup of tea?"

When he broke off the kiss, it was like waking up from a dream. Paradoxically, she felt exhausted after waking up this time, and tiredly leaned against her partner. "Yes. Perhaps, when you're in the kitchen, I'll close my eyes for a bit." She pressed her lips against his neck, because it was within easy reach and she had developed a liking to his skin.

He would be lying if he would say he didn't like the way she sought out his touch and even more so how she initiated most of their touches. "That's probably a good idea." Booth leaned forward, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around her waist and reached for her cup, which he handed to her. "There you go." He leaned back into the couch himself, dropping a sweet kiss on her curls, watching her sip her tea.

The tea was at drinking temperature, and she drank it gratefully. "I'm already getting used to you, Booth," she told him with a smile.

He smiled at her words, accepting her empty cup. He got up and coaxed her to lie down on the couch. As soon as she had, he once again tucked her in, gently pressing his lips against hers. He softly whispered his answer. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Bones." He couldn't resist the urge to press a second kiss to her forehead before he left her side and walked back to the kitchen, where he continued to prepare their dinner.

His attention, his sweet gestures, his kisses - all caused her brain to quiet down for once and - dared she use the clichéd description - butterflies to flutter around in her abdomen. She lay wonderfully warm and comfortable, completely relaxed because Booth was in the kitchen, and he would look out for them while she closed her eyes. She'd never fallen asleep so easily.

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**We hoped you've enjoyed this chapter. Prepare yourself for some angst in the next one...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Please enjoy ;).**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_His attention, his sweet gestures, his kisses, all caused her brain to quiet down for once and - dare she use the clichéd description - butterflies to flutter around in her abdomen. She lay wonderfully warm and comfortable, completely relaxed because Booth was in the kitchen, and he would look out for them while she closed her eyes. She'd never fallen asleep so easily._

Chapter 9

Booth walked back into the kitchen, letting his mind roam over the last few hours. He felt extremely protective towards his partner, who - thank God - was safely asleep on her couch. Mindlessly, he went through the motions of preparing dinner as his mind continued to go over everything they had been through the last few weeks. Did this mean that they were a couple now? He wanted to believe they were. He had the constant urge to simply ask her and clarify the situation, but he decided that it wasn't a good idea right now. _Besides, it doesn't matter. I just want to be here for her. I should be glad she stopped running from me._ And he was grateful for that simple fact. A small smile appeared on his lips as hope filled his heart.

Though 'emotionally drained' would have been an apt description of her state right after the exam, it was all but applicable to her now. Brennan's brain was avidly digging through the darkest recesses of her mind which had only since a short time become available. Faces, places and situations went together in the wrong and right combinations until she couldn't make sense of anything. It was disconcerting, it was unsettling. Suddenly, the world was turned upside down and she was on her back on a thin mattress, fighting for breath because she was being crushed. And she realised, despite the out-of-place images her brain presented her, that there was another body on top of her. When it clicked, her brain immediately switched to the appropriate situation. She knew what was coming, she had the knowledge. The intensity of the fear was there, reduced to a memory, but terrible. There was no way she could escape, she was completely trapped, and all she could do was live through the pain and hope for it not to last long. The only movement that was possible was to clench the mattress in her fists and turn up her head as much as she could to escape the wet lips that tried to kiss her mouth and instead placed sloppy kisses on her throat and small breasts. "Please," she groaned, "Please." He sped up his thrusts in response, and she knew that it would be over more quickly this way. Choking on sobs from the sheer physical pain, tears of fear leaking from the corners of her eyes, she pressed her eyes shut and tried to think of a better place to be. Indeed, it worked, because when she opened them, the familiar sight of her living room greeted her. Her body trembling, she pushed herself up straight and rested her face in her hands. Her cheeks were wet, and she realised she was still crying. Luckily, the half-full glass of water was still on the table. She reached out to it and brought it to her lips, her hand shaking. What was wrong with her?

Thinking he had heard movement coming from the living room, Booth glanced at the clock. _That's odd,_ Booth thought as he realised he had only been in the kitchen for about an hour and ten minutes. He put the spoons down that he had been using to mix the salad and wiped his hands on a towel. Hoping he would find her still asleep on the couch, he turned and walked out of the kitchen. When he was met with faint crying sounds, he quickened his pace. The sight he found in the living room nearly broke his heart. His partner, his Bones, was curled into the corner of the couch, clinging to her glass of water. Her eyes were closed. _Probably to hide the fact that she's crying._ But it was a vain effort as the tears stubbornly found their own path down her cheeks, her body clearly trembling beneath the covers. Not wanting to startle her even further, he softly spoke with a soothing tone in his voice as he approached her. "Bones?" When she opened her eyes, he sat down on the couch next to her and carefully removed the glass from between her shaking hands. He quickly put it down on the floor, not caring what happened to the damn glass of water and turned back to her, tenderly wrapping his larger, warmer, steadier hands around her colder, shaking ones. "Hey, what happened?" When the only response he got was a slight tremble of her lower lip - desperately trying to give him an answer, while she was clearly not able to - he released her hands, leaned forward and wrapped her in his embrace. He gently coaxed her body into his lap and pulled her closer to him. When they were finally pressed against each other, her crying intensified and he started making soothing noises, speaking nonsense in a soft, low murmur, steadily creating a warm and - more importantly - safe cocoon for her to relax in.

Sobs now wrecking her body, rendering her unable to speak, she gave in and like a small child allowed Booth to pull her onto his lap. She cried into his shoulder. She kept trying to stop, but more and more tears kept coming. She couldn't help it. Apparently she needed this release. Booth had to be crazy for putting up with her like this. Absolutely raving mad. But it didn't matter to her. She liked him anyway. More than liked him. She - she might not need him, but - she wanted him.

"Shh, just let it all out, Bones. It's okay. You're okay. You're safe." He sighed as he rested his cheek on top of her head, slowly rocking their bodies back and forth as he continued to comfort her. "No one is going to hurt you. You're strong." He slightly tilted his head and pressed his lips once again to her curls, inhaling the faint sweet scent of her shampoo and a smell that was uniquely hers. "You're strong, Temperance. You're safe."

She nodded into his chest as the tears kept coming. Clinging to him, basking in the safety of his embrace, she took his advice and allowed her cheeks to get soaked in her own tears. She honestly didn't know where all this was coming from. And why now? Maybe... maybe the vaginal pain served as a trigger. She subconsciously pulled her legs together, as if protecting herself. She suddenly remembered that she'd slept with her legs pulled up and her hand between her legs for months after All The Evil had happened. Just to make sure that if anybody would attempt to enter her, she would wake up. She was afraid to let her guard down, but she had to sleep. Physiologically, it was inevitable. So she had thought of solutions. Such as barricading the door, setting traps so anyone entering would make noise - she'd once scared her grandfather nearly to death that way - and sleeping in a protective position. Funny how she remembered that now. She'd honestly completely forgotten about it.

He could feel her body tense slightly, but since she made no actual move to pull away from his touch, he simply went with his gut and continued to rock their bodies back and forth. He was worried about the fact that she was still crying, but he remained quiet. She had been holding this in for too damn long already and if she felt safe enough, secure enough to finally let it out, he was not going to do anything to prevent it from happening. On the contrary, he continued to encourage it. "That's my girl. Just let it out, Bones. Shh, it's okay. You're safe."

Finally, she was able to get a few words out. "Booth," she sobbed, and placed her hands on her shoulders. Still unable to stop crying, she said with tears streaming down her cheeks, "I want to tell - you. I -" she paused to uselessly wipe at her tears. "I - damn it." She sniffed and tried to take a few deep breaths.

He brushed her hair back behind her ears, "Shh, take your time. Don't try to rush yourself. I'm not going anywhere." He gently wiped her tears away, not caring that they were almost instantly replaced with new ones, he simply brushed those away as well. "Take your time, Bones..."

She nodded and leaned her cheek into his hand, closing her eyes and breathing in as slowly as possible. After a few breaths, she'd calmed down enough to speak and opened her eyes, fixing her stare on him. "I was afraid to sleep," she croaked out, her eyes asking him to make sense of everything for her, because she was just lost.

Booth instantly realised that she wasn't talking about the current situation, since he knew she was okay before he had left for the kitchen. He was instantly reminded of the first few months after he had been rescued by the army from his captors, the people who had tortured him. He too, had known the paralysing fear of letting your guard down and simply going to sleep. "I understand. You didn't want to let your guard down. But Bones, you have to realise that that's okay. After what he did to you, you couldn't let your guard down." He gazed into her eyes. "And that's okay. It was a normal reaction."

She nodded, accepting his explanation, needing something rational to hold onto. "Even though technically I was safe from him?" she asked him in an unsteady voice.

"Even though you were safe from him," he confirmed. "What you went through was intense and very painful, Bones. You needed time to heal and one way to heal is protecting yourself. That was all you were doing. Keeping yourself safe. And there is nothing," he repeated the word to put emphasis on it, "nothing wrong with that. Or with you for that matter, okay? People don't just bounce back like that, Bones. Trust me, okay? They don't."

"Why is this happening now? How long does it take?" she asked, her breathing now under control. Slowly but surely, the tears stopped emerging from her eyes. She took one of his hands and held it with both of hers.

Booth wrapped his free arm around her and squeezed her hands with the one she was holding onto. "I don't know that, Bones. It varies from person to person. You're doing great though. You're not trying to ignore your feelings. You're dealing with them. And I'm proud of you for doing that, because I can only imagine how hard that must be for you. I only know that it will get better. I promise it will, but it'll take time." He pressed her torso against his and added quietly, "This is one of the reasons why I think you shouldn't decide too quickly whether or not you want that surgery, Bones. These things will just continue to surface and maybe it's best if you deal with this first, whatever the nightmare was about." Booth did his best to make sure she understood he wasn't trying to point out to her that he had already told her this. He was merely trying to help her understand why he had told her earlier that he thought it would be a good idea to wait a little while.

"I can see why you would think that," she nodded understandingly. "But, you know, I guess it's like he left part of him behind. The scars. That's an immediate reminder of - all that. Even this one time, when I'd taken home this man, Eric, and we had sex and he was, well, you don't want to hear this, but he was well-endowed and he hit that scar." She shook her head in resentment. "We had to stop," she explained, looking into Booth's eyes. "It ruined our night. I was so upset, because I didn't know why I couldn't do it. Well, actually, I didn't even want to consider the possibility that it might have anything to do with - that. Eric didn't make a problem out of it, he even tried to comfort me, but I told him to leave." She heaved a sigh and shrugged. "I just don't want that to ever happen again. I don't want him to still be able to ruin my nights. That's why I wanted the surgery. That's why I need it," she concluded.

Booth nodded as he moved his hand up and down her back. "I understand, Bones. And I'm not saying you shouldn't have the surgery, I can see why you need it. Sex is supposed to be something you can enjoy and..." His voice dropped to a whisper, as his cheeks flushed pink, "I want that for you." _Even if it's crappy sex, without a deeper meaning, I still want her to be able to at the very least enjoy it,_ he added silently in his mind. It wasn't until she was telling him about this failed night of sexual gratification with some stranger that he realised how deeply this had affected her life. And still did.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her. "Booth, when we have sex," she whispered in his ear, "I want this not to be an issue anymore. I don't want to be nervous it might hurt. I want it to be like you said. I want to enjoy you. Us." She tightened her grip on him. One moment she was trapped by the cruelest man she'd ever personally known, and the next, she was in the protective arms of the most wonderful man in her life. How stark that made the contrast. How clear it showed that being with Booth would actually be a good thing.

"Shh, don't worry about that right now, Bones." Her words had elated and put him on edge at the same time. The fact that she saw sex for them in their future was something that gave him hope. He just hoped that what she was referring to was the same thing he longed to share with her. A lasting monogamous relationship. Now was not the time, nor was this the place to bring it up, so he shifted the conversation back to the real issue. "Maybe it would help if you told me something more about your nightmare? Maybe that'll help you heal as well?"

"I just... I want to forget about it. Can't you tell me how to do that? Isn't there some psychological trick you can teach me?" she nearly begged him.

"No," he shook his head, "there is no psychological trick I can teach you to erase what happened to you. I'm afraid you're going to have to face it sooner or later, but..." Booth stared intently into her eyes, "I do have another trick to make you forget. Not forever, but for a little while."

She sat up right in his lap and grabbed him by the shirt. "What is that?" she demanded eagerly. "Tell me what it is." Would there really be an easy solution?

"Hey, hey, shh." Booth whispered, trying to calm her down, "I _do _think you will have to face this sooner or later, but yes, I think I can help you to forget, maybe for a little while. I'm not talking days or hours, here, Bones, but yeah... a little while." He framed her face with his strong hands, gently cupping her it. "You are so strong," he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. "So unbelievably strong." He pressed his lips to hers again, a little firmer this time. "You are so beautiful..." another kiss. "So special." His lips drifted lower and he kissed her jaw on his way down. "You are everything to me, Bones." He kissed her throat. "I don't care about what happened years ago. It doesn't make me think less of you." He squeezed her body slightly as it was cocooned safely in his arms. "I only want to help you deal with it." He pressed his lips to her blue cardigan, right above her heart before he straightened and claimed her lips with his. He claimed them like he had been wanting to claim them for years now, like only a lover - someone who loves you with their heart, mind, body and soul - could.

Her eyelids fell closed and the tension disappeared from her body as he kissed his way down to her heart. When he came up, her lips instinctively met his, and she found that he hadn't been exaggerating, for she forgot all about everything because of this kiss. It gave her so much energy, made her feel like a woman and somehow boosted her confidence. He kissed her as if she was a goddess. She didn't really understand it, but she didn't have to, because the lack of knowledge did not frustrate her at all. She arched her back, pressing herself into him, and cupped his jaw in her hand, the other sliding around his neck. This kiss was the most intense she'd ever experienced, and he might have thought so, too, because she felt a part of his lower anatomy respond as well. It made her feel powerful, and she smiled against his lips.

As he felt her lips curl into a smile while they kissed, he knew she knew just how much of an effect their kiss was having on him. Deciding to throw caution to the wind and take another gamble, he pressed their bodies closer together and he groaned as she actually pressed her body against his on her own initiative. "I don't know 'bout you, Bones," he rested his forehead against her, "but I'm thinking about something totally different."

"Me, too," she replied playfully. "I'm still starving. How are the sandwiches coming?" she grinned, feeling so content that she truly could not imagine her anguish of some moments ago. There were simply too many endorphins rushing through her system.

"Not," he answered, silently adding, a_nd apparently, neither am I,_ but it was a fleeting thought. Booth knew that it was too soon for either one of them. Something big was changing in their partnership and he didn't need sex to complicate it further. "I think I'd better get back to the kitchen and finish 'em."

For a moment, she thought she saw something like disappointment flash behind his eyes. Of course, she wanted to sleep with him, too. But today it would be way too painful to even try, thanks to the horrible exam she'd suffered. And she was too afraid it would hurt after ripping the scar. She'd rather wait until after the surgery. She would... start fresh, then, in a way, and she wanted her first time anew to be with Booth. She couldn't even think of sleeping with another man. It seemed as if her world had been narrowed down to one person. And that was her partner. She only hoped she was capable of giving him what he gave to her. She caressed his face, then pressed a big appreciative kiss to his cheek and hugged him. "Okay," she said, and moved off his lap. "And by the way; that really did help a lot," she smiled.

"I'm glad it did," he told her as he got up and once again tucked her in. He liked the act of tucking her in; it reflected his need to protect her and if he tucked her in, he hoped she would feel protected. Because he knew that the feeling of having someone wrap a blanket around you was a completely different feeling from having to do it yourself. Tipping her chin up gently using his thumb and index finger, he added, "Next time you want a distraction or need one, just let me know, okay?"

"I won't hesitate," she pledged, feeling the fluffy warmth of the blanket around her. "Will you let me know if I can help you with anything? I can't continue letting you do all the work."

"Yes, you can." He winked at her as he straightened, "I have to do something to earn my keep around here after all, right? Now that I'll be staying for at least a few months." He quickly added, "Not that I mind. I'm really glad I can stay here with you." He hoped she would catch his double meaning, that he was glad he hadn't left DC. That he hadn't left her.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she replied with a smile. "And you don't have to do anything except put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket. I have more than enough money to sustain the both of us," she said matter-of-factly.

He wasn't about to let her carry the financial burden for the two of them, but he decided it would be best to argue about that particular topic later. "I will, Bones. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish preparing the sandwiches and grill them. Once that's done, we can eat." Booth walked back to the kitchen and about fifteen minutes later, the apartment was filled with the scent of grilled bread and cheese.

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**Dear readers, did you like this? Loads of drama in the next part... Please stay tuned and have a nice weekend!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Your reviews were amazing, as always!**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_He wasn't about to let her carry the financial burden for the two of them, but he decided it would be best to argue about that particular topic later. "I will, Bones. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish preparing the sandwiches and grill them. Once that's done, we can eat." Booth walked back to the kitchen and about 15 minutes later, the apartment was filled with the scent of grilled bread and cheese._

Chapter 10

Brennan left the warmth of the blanket to join her partner in the kitchen, to see what he was up to and where that delicious smell was coming from... "This smells delicious," she announced as she appeared behind him.

"I'm pleased to hear that. I was just about to call you." Booth frowned, "Maybe it's better if we eat in the living room though... you know," his cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink, "That would probably be more comfortable for you."

Brennan nodded in agreement. "Yes, it would be. Though I can appreciate the effects of the pain killer." She suddenly noticed the colour of his face. "Is something bothering you? Oh - I forgot. You get shy." She smiled appeasingly. "One day you'll have to explain to me how you can have sexual intercourse and not be able to talk about anything related to the reproductive system."

Booth simply reached for the plate on which he had placed the sandwiches and the bowl of salad, completely ignoring her question. "Could you grab empty plates for us and cutlery?" He picked up the items and walked out of the kitchen, into the living room. He put the plate and the bowl down carefully as he folded the blanket, making more room on the couch before sitting down himself, looking up as Bones joined him.

Brennan easily gathered the utensils he'd asked for and also filled two glasses with water. She transferred everything to the coffee table in the living room and then sat down beside her partner. She suddenly frowned. "Maybe we should drink alcohol instead," she suggested, thoughtful.

Booth was slightly confused by her proposal. "Why would you rather drink alcohol than water?" he asked her as he frowned, trying to find the logic which had spurred this suggestion on.

"To take the edge off," she replied with a serious expression, looking in his eyes. "Right?"

"Oh, Bones," he sighed as he dropped the spoons back into the salad bowl. He had no idea that the day had been so bad that she was still feeling like she needed to take the edge off. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her torso closer to his. "There are other ways to take the edge off, sweetheart." This had been exactly how he had started to gamble. To take the edge off. And even though he knew she had a very good understanding of what she could and could not handle, he wasn't prepared to even entertain the possibility of something like that happening to her. "You know, why don't we talk about it? And if you want a beer instead of water with your dinner, then maybe that's not a bad idea. But alcohol isn't going to take the edge off, Bones. Trust me. I can promise you that it won't."

She heaved a big sigh and hid her face, pushing it into the fabric of his shirt. Her nose felt his deltoid muscle tense under the material. For a few moments, she just let him hold her. Then, she sighed again and rested her cheek against his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said hollowly. "I don't know what to do with myself. Maybe I should talk, maybe I should just get drunk, maybe I should work or go abroad. I don't know. Maybe I just want to be with you. Again, I don't know. I just - I thought it was over and now... it's like I can't trust my brain anymore. That's poor quality of life for someone like me." She breathed out through her mouth, physically comforted by his warm, strong, safe body. But mentally, she was walking a tight rope, continuously faltering, looking into the abyss of her past beneath her. She sighed again. "I don't think it's fair that you're being put up with me. I'm simply not enjoyable at the moment."

Booth took a moment to consider her words, before he gently pushed her away from him and looked her in the eye. "Temperance, if I tell you what I think will help, will you do it?" He was one hundred procent serious as he looked at her. He could almost feel the despair and confusion rolling off of her in waves. And he was determined to help her. If she'd let him.

She thought she was getting to be beyond hope, but the determined look in his eyes convinced her to give it another go. "Right now I feel inclined to try anything."

"Okay." He gently cupped her face in his hands as he continued to look into her eyes. "Let go." When she looked at him in confusion, he continued, "Stop trying not to fall, honey." He tenderly brushed her cheek with his thumb. "I promise you that I'll catch you when you do, okay?"

Her body tensed up immediately, her heartbeat quickening. "I -" These were probably the most meaningful words she'd uttered in years, "I believe you. But I don't want to burden you." Never. She didn't want to mean anything to others, because she couldn't bear the guilt if she hurt them. And she didn't want to depend on others in any way, because they might hurt her. Not that the latter was very applicable to this case. Booth. Her Booth. She should really do this. "I don't want to hurt you. Not even a little bit. I know that's what I did by declining your love, but I did it to protect you." She paused to take a breath. "Really, I want to be with you, but I'm so afraid I'll ruin it." She had not been this open with another person since she was a child.

He answered her honestly, "The only way you can ruin this is by pushing me away. And that is not what you are doing. The only way you can hurt me is by shutting me out." He sighed as he released her face slowly and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I know you did what you did because you wanted to protect me. And I appreciate the fact you want to protect me, but Temperance, not at this cost. Not at the cost of your own happiness. This isn't a burden to me, and even if it was - which it's not - it is one I want to help you carry. Don't expect me to watch you suffer and not do anything about it, Bones. I can't. I won't. So please," his hand slipped under her clothes, so he could place his hand on her lower back, establishing skin to skin contact, "Please, just let go. I've got you."

She closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest, searching deep within herself, going through the maze of rules and convictions she'd established during her lifetime, to see if there was maybe a possibility that she could allow herself to be weak. Purposefully weak and vulnerable and dependent. To consciously become a burden, with the possibility of losing herself if everything went wrong. The pleasant warmth of his hands on the bare skin of her back distracted her. And indeed; maybe she was searching in the wrong place. Maybe she should be looking at _him_, to assess his trustworthiness, his stability, his sincerity. And at that moment, synapses finally fired in a significant sequence, and she realised that that was what she'd been doing ever since they started working together. He had yet to be thrown out of her system because he'd wronged her. She looked up at him. "All right," she whispered.

He leaned in and kissed her slowly and tenderly, trying to let her feel that he would catch her by gently pressing his hand closer to her skin. "That's my girl. Please tell me what you dreamed about." With his free hand he grabbed one of the sandwiches and held it out to her, allowing her time to form an answer to his question. He knew how much he was asking of her and he wanted her to know that he wasn't going to rush her. That this would happen at her pace. The most important thing wasn't how long it would take. The most important thing was that it was happening.

She kissed him with all the intensity that she felt, and found nothing in his touch that caused her any hesitations about him. When the sandwich suddenly appeared in her vision, she took it. After all, she was still starving. She handed him one, too, and then took a few bites. "The dream... It's like I've been living in a quiet house. All the doors and windows locked. And then I open the door. And a hurricane blows everything into disarray. I try to close the door, but instead a window opens. And more wind comes in. I manage to push it closed, but another window bursts." She paused, eating more. "What's outside the safe house, the hurricane, that's a metaphor for my memories."

He nodded, understanding what she was saying. "But the house never really was quiet, was it? With a storm raging outside?" He took a bite of his own sandwich. "I understand why you want to ignore the storm, but if you ignore it, you can't protect yourself from it, either, right? You have to acknowledge it's there."

Tears pushed through her tear ducts, but she didn't want to cry any more today. Booth was right. There had been many times when she'd come too close to the windows and felt fear grip her throat upon viewing the storm outside. It always took a while to be able to ignore the raging out there. "In my dream, I was suddenly in the storm," she spoke. "I was in the basement. And my foster dad was there, too."

Booth wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close, encouraging her to continue her story. "What happened in the basement in your dream, Bones?" He spoke softly, doing his very best to keep her in the moment with him, hoping he was helping her to feel safe enough in order to recall such a horrific nightmare.

"I was naked. He was on top of me." She averted her eyes so she could continue. "He tried to kiss my mouth, so I turned my head away. Instead, he kissed my throat and, my breasts. Actually, 'kissed' is not the right word. He just put his mouth on me. I remember how I felt so dirty because he left his saliva on my skin." Her eyes shot sideways to catch a glimpse of Booth's expression, then back. She felt rigid and uncomfortable talking about this. She felt very ashamed. Not because it was her fault, but because the act had been so dirty, so filthy and shameful.

Putting his food down, he turned towards her. He gently tipped her chin up, so he could look into her eyes. "What happened was dirty," he acknowledged, "and I can understand how that would make you feel dirty, but you were the victim here, Bones. I know you hate being the victim and now that I know what happened to you, I can definitely understand that better." Booth wasn't sure what would make the look of shame in her eyes disappear, so once again he went with his gut and kissed her. "It doesn't reflect on you, sweetheart. What happened all these years ago is a reflection on that sick asshole whose name I don't know, which is probably for the best. And you are doing it, Bones. You are doing something that even I can't. By telling me this, you are defying him. Showing him what a strong woman you truly are. You are breaking his power over you." He grabbed his sandwich again and nodded at her, "Go on, Temperance. We both know he doesn't have any power over you anymore. Now do what scientists do best. Prove it. Prove it to me, but more importantly, prove it to yourself."

Slowly, she mirrored him and took another bite of her grilled cheese sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed. Doing something normal, natural, while she spoke of the most unnatural, horrendous act which had maimed her memory and her view on humans. "The pain was intense, but not as intense as the fear," she continued in a flat voice. She dared glance at him a moment longer, now. "It was like being torn open. Like a knife slicing through me. It burned and it stung, and I - I knew that it was going to last another while. So I begged him. 'Please,' I said, 'Please.'" She shook her head. "I held my breath as he sped up his pace. I could hardly breathe as it was; he was so heavy. Pinning me down. I was trapped. There was nothing I could do to protect myself. And then he... well, in reality, he ejaculated. In me. And his hips stilled and he pulled out. I saw his -" she was going to say 'penis', but imagined Booth cringe at the term, "...member. My blood was on it. I wanted to look into his eyes, but I couldn't see them. I wanted to know whether it had really been him, or just an aggressive, sadistic male body. I was somehow... curious to see whether my foster dad, as a person, had really just locked up and raped his foster daughter. Whether he had emotionally betrayed me, or only physically. I wanted to know if he hated me that much, how I could be such an awful person that I'd driven him to that loathing of me. Because I thought we had a connection, you know." She glanced at Booth, then back at her hands holding the half-eaten sandwich. "I thought that he liked me. I trusted him. Why would he hurt me? What had I done to change his view of me? And if I didn't find that out, how was I supposed to prevent it in the future?"

She had finally gotten to the heart of the matter. "You are not an awful person, Bones!" Booth could practically feel the adrenaline rush through his body as he tried to deal with the anger towards her foster dad which was steadily rising inside of his body. "He had no right to treat you like that! You did nothing wrong. If he had developed feelings towards you, which had probably more to do with lust than love, he had no right to confront you with them and force you to deal with them. But from what you've told me, your reaction was the right one. You were confused, so you ran. No one can blame you for that." Booth got up and started pacing, his hands on his hips, trying to calm himself down. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat back down on the couch next to her. "I'm sorry to say this, Bones. And I wish I didn't have to, but yes. He did betray you. And what is even worse, what angers me even further is that he is just another number on the list of people who have betrayed you in your life. However," he cupped her cheek in his palm, "you were not the cause for his betrayal. You didn't cause any of it. Therefore, there is nothing you could've done to prevent what happened to you. Do you believe me?" He continued to look at her, hoping feverishly that she would acknowledge the logic in his words.

"I just want to know why he did it," she croaked out in a voice high from the lump tightening her throat. "I _need _to know why he did it. How did he expect me to continue living without explaining it to me? He put my life on hold and it never continued. I got stuck. I didn't know how to behave around other people, so I avoided that interaction. He never told me why, damn it!" The tears would not be stopped and they pushed past her defenses and flooded out. Brennan dropped her sandwich on the couch and jumped to her feet, furiously wiping at her tears as she walked back and forth through the room. She was so angry. There was only one thing she'd needed from him, and he hadn't given it to her. After all he'd put her through, he wouldn't give her that one little thing. An explanation. She was so angry about that.

He was a little concerned about the fact that she was stomping around the room, especially after the painful examination of earlier that day, but he didn't stop her. Booth sat back in the couch, steeled his resolve and spoke up, offering her the insight she had been missing and desperately searching for all these years. "He told you what he wanted. Even though it might not have been explicitly, he did tell you. He didn't want to scare you, he wanted you to accept him. When you ran, even though you did that because you were confused, he took it as a rejection. The fact that he had been rejected by a teenager, his foster daughter, who was supposed to listen to him." At her furious look she sent him, he added, "Yes, even in this matter, he had expected you to listen to him and cooperate. By rejecting him, you took away his control. That's what made him snap. So he practically kidnapped you and punished you for your rejection." Booth pauzed for several moments and stared at the salad before he looked back up at her. "He had no right to do what he did and even if he won't be punished for his deed in this world, he will be in the next, but if you want to know why he did what he did, well... That's it."

She took a few moments to think while she continued to pace with her arms crossed over her chest. "Then why didn't you abduct and rape me after I rejected you? Why did he snap and you didn't?"

"Because I love you. And because the mere thought of hurting you is enough to make me sick to my stomach." He cleared his throat. "Like I said, he was probably driven by lust." Booth squirmed in his seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable to discuss his own urges towards his partner, but he continued anyway. "Don't get me wrong. I - I want you too. The difference between us is that I love you and that I hold your needs in a higher esteem than I do my own. I would die before I would ever hurt you. He didn't love you. He probably did like you, but his shattered ego took precedence over your well-being." Booth looked straight into her eyes. "I will never do that to you. No matter how many times you reject me or how much you hurt me. I will never lay a hand on you in anger or against your will, Bones." He fought the lump in his throat down. "Never."

She finally stood still, sniffing and wiping the tears from her cheeks. She might have stood there for ten minutes, regarding him, letting his words in from a safe distance. "I believe that."

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." Booth slowly stood and walked over to her. He stopped a few feet away from her and opened his arms to her. "Let it go, sweetheart. Don't be afraid to fall. I'm here to catch you. Do you trust me?"

With teary eyes she nodded her head. And stepped into his arms. He held her tightly, but it was a pleasant pressure. She wound her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Rested all she was on his shoulder. The next thing she knew, his arms let go of her and came back. He lifted her off the floor, into his arms. All of her weight on him, and he could still stand. She saw the metaphor clearly. And she felt liberated, and lighter. She closed her eyes and saw a bright light somewhere, not too far out of her reach. It was brighter and more beautiful than anything she'd every seen. She instantly realised it was happiness. And she was making her way toward it.

After he had kept his promise and literally caught her, lifting her into his arms, he held her tightly to his chest as he softly whispered, "Are you still hungry?" When she shook her head, he sighed, understanding that the emotional breakdown she had experienced and was experiencing was probably overpowering her hungry stomach. Making a mental note to make sure he would make some extra sandwiches when she would be able to stomach them, he carried her to the bedroom and gently laid her down and crawled in next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his body to hers. He brushed his lips over hers. "Rest, honey. You deserve it. I'll be here. Don't worry, I got you."

She believed him. She trusted him not to bump her into anything as he carried her to her bedroom and carefully laid her down. She trusted him to do right by her and not betray her trust. To be honest with her. As she would be with him. She tenderly put her hand on his cheek and turned his face towards her. She kissed him softly. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, Booth. By far. You make me stronger." She kissed him again, and when she closed her eyes, she trusted him to stay with her through whatever kind of dreams she might have. Or whatever kind of nightmares. He would stay.

He held her as evening turned to night and when she started to whimper, which let him know that she was having a nightmare, he found himself at a crossroad. He wanted to wake her up, kiss her soft lips and reassure her that everything was all right. That she was safe, with him. However, knowing the therapeutic power of dreams, even nightmares, he clenched his jaw and tenderly wrapped her in his embrace. He sighed in relief when her breathing evened out again and the whimpers died down a little.

Despite her exhaustion, she didn't sleep like a rose. The storm inside her brain was less raving, but it had not died down. Flashes instead of full scenes were shown to her by her memory. Yet just when she was being drawn into her past, an unknown force pulled her out of it, and her mind became blank again. She didn't get upset enough to wake up, though. Somehow she had to have known that in reality, she was safe.

Booth continued to hold her throughout the night. He didn't sleep though. his body was relaxed by her side, their proximity helping him to calm down. And even though his body had calmed down, his muscles relaxed, his mind would not quiet down. Her words kept going through his head and he felt a surge of love and protectiveness towards her. A few times during the night he noticed her body tense and her brow as it furrowed, letting him know another nightmare was looming over her. He would whisper soft reassurances as he pressed their bodies just a little closer. By the time the sun rose, he finally allowed sleep to claim him, after he had ensured that the beautiful woman next to him had made it somewhat safely through the night.

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**And still, the angst has not come to an end... **


	11. Chapter 11

**For the previous chapter, we received the most special review we've ever had (thank you so much, MMWillow13). Therefore, we dedicate this story and especially chapter 10 to her and everyone else who went through a similar ordeal and could appreciate our interpretation of the emotions involved. We always try to become the characters we write and evoke their feelings in ourselves, so that our writing is sincere. We hope you will enjoy this next chapter.**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_Booth continued to hold her throughout the night. He didn't sleep, though. His body was relaxed by her side, their proximity helping him to calm down. And even though his body had calmed down, his muscles had relaxed; his mind would not quiet down. Her words kept going through his head and he felt a surge of love and protectiveness towards her. A few times during the night he noticed her body tense and her brow as it furrowed, letting him know another nightmare was looming over her. He would whisper soft reassurances as he pressed their bodies just a little closer. By the time the sun rose, he finally allowed sleep to claim him, after he had ensured that the beautiful woman next to him had made it somewhat safely through the night._

Chapter 11_  
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When sunlight announced the fresh winter morning, Brennan slowly awoke. It took her a few moments to get her bearings and she soon realised that Booth was sleeping next to her, his arms around her as though he was afraid she'd run away from him. But he needn't worry; she wasn't going to run. On the contrary, as far as she was concerned, he would be stuck with her for the time to come. For a long while, she lay on her side studying his face. All the lines she knew so well. The ones that appeared when he smiled, when he frowned, and his concerned worry lines - those were mostly for her. When her body told her to get started on the day, to go and do something productive, she slowly slipped Booth's hand off her waist and placed it beside his head. She'd been lying on his other arm, using it as a pillow. Hoping his limbs wouldn't be asleep because of her, she put that arm in another position, too. Then, she softly pressed a kiss to both his wrists and climbed out of her bed, careful not to disturb him as he looked deeply asleep. She went into the kitchen and gathered their breakfast, then set the table. As a test, she sat down on one of the hard wooden chairs and wriggled around a bit. Good. There was no pain. Relieved, she stood up and wanted to put the plates on the table, but then her cell phone shrieked. Quickly so she wouldn't disturb Booth, she located it and picked up.

His eyes opened as the piercing, shrieking sound made him sit up in bed. The first thing he noticed was the fact that he was alone. He quickly got up and walked out of the bedroom. When he heard his partner's soft voice, clearly trying not to wake him, he relaxed. He smiled at the thought of her trying to be quiet; she had obviously forgotten about his sniper training and the fact that the smallest bleeps on his radar seemed to awaken him. As a matter of fact, he was slightly surprised that he hadn't awoken when she had gotten out of bed.

When she ended the call and put the phone down on the couch beside her, she suddenly startled without knowing why and spun her head around. She found Booth standing in the doorway of her bedroom, hair tousled, musculature looking magnificent, face sleepy but eyes alert. Since her expression was probably betraying her anyway, judging from his calmly expectant posture, she spoke up right away. "My surgery's scheduled for next week," she fessed up.

Booth ran his hand through his unruly hair as he walked past her and sat down on the couch. He had realized it had been the doctor, but to have the surgery scheduled already... He understood why she wanted the surgery, why she needed it. And even though he wanted to be supportive, unlike for her, this was moving a little fast for him. It had only been a few days since she had told him about what had happened to her all these years ago. Booth knew that it probably felt like torture to know that she could change something about her situation and not doing it. He sighed. The truth was, he was a little scared. He didn't like the idea of her going to have surgery. It made him feel helpless to see her in pain and not being able to help. He rested his head on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling, trying to just accept the fact that the surgery was scheduled. He wasn't even upset about the fact that she had done it without consulting him. After all, he had made it clear he thought it would be best if she waited a little bit. He just hoped that all the progress they had made the previous night wouldn't turn out to be for nothing after the surgery.

"Are you okay?" she asked him as she turned her body towards his, resting her head in her palm. She wanted to reach out to him, but waited. Maybe she should let him speak his mind, first.

Her question made him look at her. "Of course I'm okay, Bones. Why do you ask that?" He turned his body towards her, so he could at least look at her properly.

"You seem upset," she observed, concerned. "I know you think it's too soon to agree to the surgery, but it might - I just hope it will get rid of the scars. You know why I want it. I - I might even get my fertility back, Booth. And I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't want to be - scared, anymore. When I'm with you, I want to be free to do what I want." Her intonation changed into innuendo and she finally reached out to him, tracing a line over his cheek, ending at the corner of his mouth. "I want you to be free to do what you want..."

He leaned into her touch as he smiled at her. "It's not that I don't want you to have the surgery, Bones. I know it's important to you. You just - you caught me by surprise, I guess."

"Oh. Right. Sorry for overwhelming you," she said and kissed her apology to his cheek. "What upsets you about this surgery?" she asked him softly.

"I just don't like the idea, that's all." He quickly corrected himself, "No, wait, I do like the idea that it would help you, but..." Booth sighed, feeling silly for being scared, but he couldn't ignore that feeling. "Look, I know it's stupid, but ..." He looked up at her. "Every surgery has a risk and I know it's a small one, but I just... I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Bones."

She kept silent, caressing his face. "That's sweet," she finally said sincerely. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

He leaned in closer and softly kissed her on her cheek. "Nope. I'm gonna go make breakfast, okay?"

"You can try," she said coyly as he rose, "but you'll find there's not much to make anymore. It's all on the kitchen counter."

Gratefully he smiled at her, it was nice to wake up and find that breakfast was ready. "In that case, I'll go get it for us. Do you want coffee, tea, orange juice or water?"

"I'll have juice," she said with a wide smile. But she was doubtful on the inside. She didn't like that he was worrying, and she couldn't think of anything that might put his mind at ease. She stood, too, and made her way towards the kitchen table. She pushed the window open a bit to let some fresh air in. Sounds of birds and cars driving past wafted into her apartment, breaking the silence. The sounds Booth was making in the kitchen were nice. The apartment felt filled with him there. And she didn't feel alone. In fact, she really appreciated his presence. She sat down at the table just as Booth put the glass of orange juice down.

Booth sat down after he retrieved his freshly made cup of coffee. "So, on what day is the surgery scheduled?" It was all taken care of now and he knew that it would happen anyway. The only thing left to do was being supportive. She'd said next week, so he had a week to get used to the idea, right?

"Tuesday," she answered between bites, gauging his reaction.

Booth nearly choked on his coffee as she told him the surgery was scheduled for Tuesday. That was _not_ a week! That was four days from now! And then he was counting both today and Tuesday. He coughed in response to the almost choking and put the cup down. "Tuesday?" he managed to utter as his breathing started to slow down. "That's fast."

For a moment she worried that he might drown in his coffee. "Is it?" she more remarked than asked as she spread butter on her bread. "By the way, Booth, I forgot to ask; how did you sleep?"

"Yeah, Bones. It is," he answered her first question, completely ignoring her second one as he reached for the butter as well.

"Oh. Well, the sooner the better. But Booth, did you sleep well?" she inquired again as she chewed her bread and handed him the butter.

He accepted the butter and reached for his knife, the coffee dripping off of it. "God damn it." He got up and proceeded to clean the knife. "You know, Bones, I would appreciate it if you didn't answer any questions while I'm drinking coffee from now on, okay?" He held his hand in front of his mouth as he yawned, silently cursing himself. He wouldn't lie to her, but he'd rather not tell her he stayed up all night to keep vigil over her.

"Okay," she nodded seriously. "And by the way, you don't want to answer my question, but your body language is betraying you," she remarked casually. "You taught me to pay attention to that," she added with sparkling eyes.

He had to suppress a chuckle as he sat back down. "Okay, well if you must know, I slept well."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Yet you seem tired."

He shrugged. "Well, it was near sunrise before I fell asleep."

She put down her wrists on the table. "Booth!" She swallowed her bread. "You can't live on so little sleep. This afternoon, you should take a nap." She pointed at him. "But what kept you awake? Were you uncomfortable? Did I keep you awake?"

Well, in a way she did, but if he told her that, she might never let him in her bed again, so he decided to word it more carefully. "You looked like you were having nightmares. And when I would whisper something to you, or just hold you a little closer, you seemed to calm down." He looked up at her. "Look, I couldn't very well go to sleep knowing you were having nightmares, okay?"

She blushed. "God, sorry." She looked at him shyly, as if he had witnessed her doing something embarrassing. "You shouldn't bother doing that, Booth. I appreciate it, but you shouldn't."

"Don't. Okay, just don't. Don't ask me to stop caring about you, 'cause that's one argument you are never going to win. It's not a bother, it's not a burden. Yeah, maybe I could've used a few extra hours of sleep, but the time was well spent. So just don't, okay? Don't try to convince either one of us you are not worth it, because we both know you are."

Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink and she glanced at her plate, then back at him. "Are you inside my head, now, or something?" she smiled slightly.

He returned her smile. "No, but I do know how that head of yours works, Bones. So just don't okay?" His smile transformed into his signature charm smile. "After all, I am an alpha male. I'm pretty sure worrying about my pack is one of my duties, right?"

"Right," she laughed, then shook her head. "Maybe if I learn how to ask for help, you won't have to sacrifice yourself prematurely."

"It's not a sacrifice, Bones. It felt," he paused to look for the right word, "calming, reassuring to have you close. To be able to do something useful. To be able to help you. Besides," he added, "you're missing the point."

"The point being..." she inquired, feeling warm inside because of the nice things he said about her effect on him.

He got up and gathered the dishes and cutlery. He bent down to kiss her cheek, whispering in her ear, before he straightened again. "The point being that you don't even have to ask in the first place."

The warm air he blew against her ear as he spoke tickled and she ducked away. "At least let me help you with this and please don't forget to take care of yourself, too." She got up and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She pressed a kiss to his back. "You are the sweetest man, Seeley Booth."

He turned in her embrace. "Why don't we just leave the dishes for later and crawl back into bed, huh? I think we could both use the rest."

His arms around her caused her skin to tingle. "Sounds like a good idea. I'm bringing a book, though. I can't sleep anymore." She took his hand and pulled him with her to her bedroom. They got in and underneath the covers, which he held up for her. She settled against the headboard with pillows supporting her back and the book in her hand. She pulled Booth up for a kiss and then against her, his head in her lap, so he could sleep. Her arm rested between his shoulder blades and she stroked him absent-mindedly as she read. Every now and then, she looked down at him and couldn't suppress an affectionate smile.

"You're quite the alpha female yourself, you know that?" he murmured as he closed his eyes, enjoying all of the scents and sounds which were surrounding him, feeling the tension ease out of his shoulders and back, the places where the tension seemed to accumulate faster than anywhere else. He groaned softly at the heavenly feeling and snuggled closer to her body, in the knowledge that they were both more than okay.

She grinned. "Just make sure you remember that," she advised him and stroked his hair, then directed her hand back to his shoulders. Feeling him relax against her made her feel powerful and important. She could help him, too. She could mean something to him. Just like he did to her. And with that realisation, she relaxed more, too. They could have a balanced relationship. He didn't have to be the one who kept making sacrifices and she didn't have to be the one to feel useless - and thus insecure - for not doing anything in return. She glanced at his face again, his eyes now closed. "Rest, Seeley," she whispered so softly he could hardly have heard it. "I've got your back." She smiled.

"You have it all, Bones. Always had," he murmured sleepily before he surrendered to the sweet darkness, offering him rest and hope.

- _Tuesday _-

Booth was silent during the ride to the hospital. When she reached to turn the radio on, he smiled gratefully at her. He knew she didn't know what to say anymore than he did, but she was doing her very best to reassure him. She had explained the procedure to him, just like the doctor had explained it to her. It hadn't really worked though. He was still worried about her, even more so now that he knew the risks involved. He sighed as he parked the car in the parking lot. "Ready?"

"Yes. Are you?" She reassuringly placed her hand on his leg, squeezing softly.

He placed his hand over hers and leaned into her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, simply not having an answer for that question. Was he ready for the fact that she was finally getting something back she had lost so many years ago? Yes, yes he was. Was he ready to simply walk her into the hospital so they could sedate her and operate on her while her life wasn't in danger? He was not so sure about that. He understood why she wanted it, needed it, deserved it, but the very thought that someone was going to operate on her, cut into her body - even if it was to repair something that was broken -was making his gut clench painfully. Not to mention the pain she was going to have to endure while recovering. But still... _She deserves to have this..._

She kissed him back, then smiled at him. She was very certain of this. Of course, getting surgery wasn't a small thing, but she wasn't afraid. And after this, if everything went well, she wouldn't ever have to be afraid again! "Come on, Booth," she spoke gently, "I'll hold your hand," she smiled as she cupped his cheek in her palm.

He smiled at her and gripped her hand tighter in his, before he removed the keys from the ignition and opened the door to get out. She followed his example and a few moments later, they were walking up to the doors of the hospital, their hands entwined. As they walked through them, he released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close. They walked up to the nurses station and it didn't take long before they were taken up to a hospital room where they were gently instructed to wait for the doctor. Right before the nurse left, she handed a hospital gown to his partner. As soon as it was just the two of them, Bones disappeared behind the curtain to change into the gown.

Brennan changed quickly. She was feeling some excitement, but she wasn't nervous. Dr Singh Binda and his expert colleague had talked her and Booth through the procedure, and to her, knowledge was soothing. But poor, poor Booth had been dreading this day, becoming more and more tense. So it was good for him that it was almost over. She wished she could stay with him in the waiting room, because he felt better when they were together. Admittedly, so did she. She emerged from behind the curtain. Booth jumped to his feet immediately and wrapped his arms around her. She squeezed him tightly and rubbed his back. "Everything will probably be fine, Booth." She kissed his jaw; precisely on the spot where tension visibly gathered in the joint.

"Probably," he repeated her word, the unspoken message loud and clear that that was not the kind of reassurance he was looking for. Probably meant that, even though there was a good chance that she would be fine, that she would recover quickly and that she would be given back her ability to conceive, there was also the possibility that things would go wrong. That the surgery wouldn't be successful, that maybe she'd have a hard time to recover, or even worse, that something would go wrong during the surgery. He sighed as he held her close, pressing his cheek to hers, caressing her dark curls as he allowed her gentle touches to relax his tense body. He also knew that she wasn't scared and that she seemed confident. And just like she always trusted him when it concerned matters of the heart, he was determined to trust her now, concerning matters of science and fact.

He was holding on to her as if his life depended on it, as if he had tears in his eyes, as if they were saying goodbye. That made her uncomfortable, but she let him hold her for another moment, then hung back in his arms and took his face between her hands. "I'm not going to die on you, now, Seeley," she said. "If I logically could, that would be a promise."

He chuckled at her reassurance, and the way she had stated it in her own words. "I know, Bones, I know." He released her and sat down on the bed. He was about to pull her on his lap when the door opened and the doctor walked into the room, ready to perform the surgery.

Doctor Singh Binda was clad in his scrubs as he entered. Behind him, a nurse followed him into the hospital room. "Good morning, Dr Brennan, Agent Booth," he nodded to each of them in turn. "Are you ready for the surgery?" he asked with a relaxed smile on his face.

"I am," Brennan answered eagerly, "But Booth is anxious." The doctor nodded understandingly. "We will keep you informed," he promised Booth. Then, he gestured at the nurse. "Tess will prepare your IV." Brennan nodded her consent and the nurse started to look for useful veins in her hand.

Booth got up from the bed and sat down on one of the chairs. "So, how long will the surgery last?" He was sure either Bones or the doctor had told him, heck, they had probably both told him already, but he couldn't remember and if there was one thing he needed to know, it was how long it would be before she would return to him. He knew he was being irrational, but he didn't want to let her out of his sight.

"Of course, that depends on what we encounter, but my colleague Dr Rosenmeijer estimated a good two hours." The nurse had found a vein and desinfected the area on her skin after fastening a tourniquet around her upper arm. Brennan watched calmly as the nurse tapped the vein to make it swell, then slowly pushed the needle through her skin. The small compartment filled with her blood, and the nurse was satisfied, pulling out the needle and leaving the tiny plastic tube in place.

Booth watched as the nurse worked quickly and efficiently, but it wasn't the nurse that caught his attention, it was his partner, who seemed as calm as if this was a daily occurence for her. Well, it definitely wasn't for him, that was for sure. He nodded as he looked at the doctor. "Can we have a few more seconds before you take her away?"

"Yes, of course," Dr Singh Binda consented. "If you have no further questions, I'll go scrub and I will see you in a few minutes. Nurse Brenda will come soon to get you." He nodded when there were no further questions and left the room. The nurse taped the IV in place, wished Brennan luck and left, too.

Booth got up again and sat down next to her on the bed. He turned to her and took her hand - the one without the IV - in his. "This is it," he whispered as he looked into her eyes.

She looked back into his eyes. "Yes, it is. I've been waiting for this a long time." She put her other hand over his. He looked so utterly scared and sad; she couldn't leave him behind like his. Not even for two hours. "Hey, Booth, listen up."

Booth simply nodded at his partner to indicate that he was listening. The last thing he wanted to do was make her think that he didn't want this for her. He did, the problem was that he just didn't like the fact that she needed to be operated upon, cut open, poked and prodded to get what she deserved. What should've been hers in the first place.

Brennan took a breath to speak when the door opened and nurses Tess and Brenda appeared. They announced the OR was ready and they should say goodbye. Brennan nodded that she was ready and lay back into the mattress. Then, she quickly grabbed Booth's head, drew it close to her, and just before she was about to kiss him, she whispered, "I love you, Seeley Booth," and then kissed him with intensity.

He felt a surge of love throughout his body and returned her kiss, before he pressed a soft, chaste kiss to her cheek, whispering a soft, but heartfelt, "Love you too, Bones. Be safe," into her ear, before he stood upright again and allowed the two nurses to roll her out of the hospital room, leaving him alone. Alone and yet more relaxed than he had been in days. His fears being banned from his mind by what he considered to be the three most powerful words in the english language. I love you.

Relieved, she watched as he finally relaxed, and his eyes began to glow. She hadn't expected to, but she felt stronger, more powerful and more ready to go through the surgery. Of course, she wasn't an expert on love, but she was pretty certain she loved Booth. She felt as though her mind had never left him alone in that room, and when the anaesthesiologist injected the sedative into her vein, she gave in to the pull of a force stronger than gravity and fell into a relaxed unconsciousness.

Booth sighed as he sat down in the chair he had previously been occupying. He felt lighter, somehow. They had been living together for a few weeks by now and even though they had been acting like a couple, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to define them. A contented smile slowly spread over his face, brightening his features as her words echoed in his mind, easing his worries and defining their relationship for him. He loved her and she loved him back.

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**As always, we would love to hear what you think of this chapter and we will try our best to update again soon! Let's hope the surgery went all right... Thank you for reading.**


	12. Chapter 12

**As always, your reviews were amazing. Thank you! And sorry for making you nervous...**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_Booth sighed as he sat down in the chair he had previously been occupying. He felt lighter, somehow. They had been living together for a few weeks now and even though they had been acting like a couple, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to define them. A contented smile slowly spread over his face, brightening his features as her words echoed in his mind, easing his worries and defining their relationship for him. He loved her and she loved him back._

Chapter 12

She lay very still as slowly, the fog in her brain faded and synapses began to occur. She gained control over her mind, which was energy-absorbing enough, so she couldn't yet open her eyes. She was surprisingly lucid, though. She knew she'd just had surgery, she knew what for. She just couldn't get emotional about it yet. She had facts, serene facts, pure knowledge, nothing else. She didn't want to hurry waking up. She was taking her time, she merely wondered - without possible hope or disappointment - whether Booth was there yet.

Booth had been sitting next to her on one of those god-awful hospital chairs ever since the nurses had returned her to him. When he saw her tensing her eyelids slightly, barely perceptibly, he placed his hand on hers. "Bones, sweetheart?" The doctor had told him the surgery had gone as expected, which had been the exact words Booth had needed to hear. Now, he needed her to open those beautiful eyes and look into his.

Oh, okay. He was there. She remembered how anxious he had been for her. To reassure him, she forced her eyelids to open. The bright lights hurt, so she squeezed them closed again, waiting a few moments before giving it another try. The next time, she managed to locate Booth beside her. She felt a small weight on her hand and moved it at the same moment she made eye-contact with Booth. She still felt subdued, druggy. Once she'd met his eye and was certain he'd seen her, too, she stopped trying to keep them open.

"Shh, it's okay, rest honey. The doctor said everything went well during the surgery." He caressed her curls with his other hand. "Are - are you in pain?"

Her eyes still closed, she shook her head. No, there was no pain. For the first time in years she had hope that it would stay that way. She really wasn't fully awake yet. In fact, she felt the control of her mind slip away again._ Was that supposed to happen?_ she wondered neutrally.

"Bones?" When he didn't get a reaction from her, he squeezed her hand, feeling his breathing speed up and his heart thump inside of his ribcage. "Come on, sweetheart," he urged her, trying to get her to open her eyes. When she didn't react, he got up, reached for the button and pushed it, calling the nurse. He leaned over her, caressing her cheek, trying to get her to respond to him. "Come on, honey," he whispered, "Don't do this to me."

She heard him vaguely, but she was too tired to send a signal from her brain to her muscles. She could not react to him. She was conscious, but paralysed. Her body was too heavy for her to operate. She tried to fight it, but she was just too weak, too tired. Perhaps she should sleep a bit longer...

Her limp body was sending him into a near panic attack when she didn't react to his soft touch or his whispered words. He pressed his palm to her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. "Please, Temperance, open your eyes. I - I need you." He swallowed and took a deep breath. "Come on, Bones, open your eyes."

Now, she was asleep and didn't hear anything anymore. Completely relaxed, her body rested - though somewhat artificially - and she couldn't remember if she was supposed to care.

Booth looked up when the door was opened and a kind-looking nurse entered the room. Not wasting any time, Booth explained what had happened. "She - she opened her eyes, but she closed them again and when I asked her if she was in pain, her head moved, but I don't know if it was involuntary or if she meant it and after that, she - she hasn't reacted since," he rambled and rushed through his explanation, looking up expectantly at the nurse. He was convinced that she would know what to do, and if she didn't, she could get someone who would.

The nurse reacted calmly as she checked Brennan's vitals. "Sometimes it happens that a person gets drawn back into anaesthesia," she told Booth. "It looks to be the case here. I'll get something to help her wake up." Within moments, the nurse was back and injected Brennan's IV with a colourless fluid.

Suddenly, a rush of adrenaline surged through her veins - or at least that's how it felt. She felt her eyes snap open, but once they were, she realised she was moving only at a slow speed. Questioningly, she looked around. Next to her stood a man she recognised. Oh, yeah, the anaesthesiologist. He was holding a syringe in his left hand. She remembered him being left-handed. Her eyes continued on their sweep of the room. One of the nurses. And then, to her left, Booth. Was anything wrong?

He looked up at the ceiling, feeling as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders and he sent up a quick prayer as he appraoched her and sat down on the side of her bed, taking her hand in his while he brushed her hair behind her ear with his other hand. "Bones, are you okay?" All of the worry that had resided and festered inside of him prior to the surgery had seemingly returned and he clutched her hand in his, silently begging her to let him know if she was okay.

"What happened?" she asked in a raspy voice, blinking a few times to get rid of the sleep.

"You didn't react to me anymore, so I got worried and paged the nurse. She called for the anaestheologist and he gave you something that woke you up." He looked up at the man standing to their right. "Will she be okay?"

She blinked more, in confusion, now, the former clarity of her mind gone. She kept looking at Booth with confusion while she heard the man on her right reply. She couldn't follow the entire response, but she deducted she'd indeed be fine. "You - did you tell me the surgery went well, or... or did I dream that?"

He turned back to her, immediately reassuring her that he had as a matter of fact said that. "No, you didn't dream that, Bones. The surgery went well, I was just making sure you weren't having any nasty side effects from the drugs they gave you." He continued to caress her soft curls. "Which luckily you don't. Are you okay?"

She slowly nodded her head.

"Good," she heard the man to her right say, "Page me if she doesn't get better." Then, he left with the nurse. More able to relax, now, more at ease, Brennan moved her hand and loosely wrapped her fingers around Booth's. "Did they complete the reconstruction? Is the scar tissue gone? The part that caused me pain?"

"The doctor didn't go into detail when they returned you from the surgery. He will be by later and you can ask him then, okay?" His voice was soothing and warm. "Now I know that since you haven't answered my question whether or not you feel okay, it must mean that you feel good enough to not pay attention to that question, but I'd really like to know how you are feeling, Bones. You - you gave me quite a scare," he admitted softly, honestly.

"I'm sorry," she sighed and squeezed his fingers. "I didn't mean to. And I feel... I feel - I'm fine. A bit... as though I've been drugged," she smiled, because they both knew that she had been. "No pain. But I want to go home."

"Like you said, you still feel like you've been drugged, so of course you don't feel any pain." He smiled at her and gently tapped her nose with his index finger. "And you are not going home today, missy, you can just forget about that right now. You have to stay at least 24 hours, remember?" When she pouted he added, "Just wait until the effects of the drugs have worn off and you'll be glad you're still in a hospital. In close proximity to strong painkillers and such." His expression became serious again as he leaned in and carefully brushed his lips over hers. "You have no idea how glad I am that you feel okay, Bones."

She didn't have the energy to kiss him back properly, yet, but she luxuriated in his attentions. "So what about you? How was it for you? Were you impatient?" She brought up her hand to cup his cheek. "Did they take long?"

"The surgery lasted just a bit longer than two hours, and I did better than I had expected," he confided conspiritorialy to her. "But yeah, I was impatient, Bones. I was so glad when you were back. It was scary when you didn't react anymore." He squeezed her hand and added quickly, "It doesn't really matter anymore, though. You're awake, lucid and okay, considering the circumstances. I'm just glad to have you back here, with me." Silently, Booth couldn't help but add,_ Right where you belong._

She nodded tiredly. Then, the door opened and doctor Singh Binda came in. He asked how she was, and she told him what she'd told Booth. Then, she asked him the questions that were pressing on her heart.

"The surgery seems successful at this point. There were no errors, nothing to suggest the fallopian tubes are still blocked. We discovered why the scar at the proximal end of the vagina was hurting so much. In fact, my colleague was astounded you didn't come in earlier. You must have a high pain threshold, Dr Brennan," he half-smiled, half-reprimanded her.

She could only nod in response. "When can I go home?"

Booth filed away the comment about a high pain threshold for later as he reacted to her question. "Awe, come on, Bones. You know as well as I do that the doctor told you that you had to stay in the hospital the first 24 hours after the surgery. And quite frankly, I think that's too short."

"Agent Booth is right, Dr Brennan. We'll assess your condition again this evening, and then again tomorrow morning. You can go home only if you are free of pain." Brennan's jaw set at that statement. She had decided that she was going to downplay her pain to get home sooner. No matter what. She wanted to go home. She felt more safe there, more normal, more relaxed. Besides, she had Booth. She'd be okay. "All right, all right. Is there anything I can do to speed up my recovery?" She almost added, 'Please?'.

Dr Singh Binda twitched his mouth. "You just rest, now."

"See? What you should be doing is resting. And Bones, don't even think about it," Booth said, knowing exactly where that beautiful mind of hers had strayed to. "The doctor has first-hand knowledge of your high pain threshold, and I'm sure he'll take it into account." Booth slightly turned to the doctor in question, "Won't ya doc?"

Despite her inhibited state, Brennan managed to glare at her partner. Then, she turned back to Dr Singh Binda - who regarded them patiently and even seemed slightly amused - and decided to drop the subject.

"Dr Brennan, are you in any pain right now?"

Instantly she replied, "No I'm not."

The doctor nodded. "Then your anaesthesia is still exerting some of its effects. In an hour, you may start to feel the absorbing material that is inside your vagina because of slight blood loss. A nurse will come to remove it within three hours. The bleeding should have stopped by then. I wish you well, Dr Brennan. I will see you during my rounds tonight." The doctor nodded towards them and left the room.

Brennan made a face. "I'd rather get everything out of me and be on my way home right now," she sulked.

Booth turned back to her and placing his hands on either side of her waist, leaned over her to press a soft, tender kiss to her lips. "You'll be home before you know it, sweetheart, but like the doctor said, you have to rest now and let the doctor, the nurses and myself take care of you, okay?" Booth slowly pulled away from her and sat down on the chair next to her bed. "Why don't you rest, Bones? You'll heal much quicker if you just give your body the time it needs to heal."

"Of course my body needs time to heal. Destroyed cells must be cleared, others have to divide to form new tissue. I know that, obviously." She yawned. "Are you going to wait here until they discharge me? Don't you have other things to do? I'm not forcing you to remain here, you know."

"Of course I'm going to wait here, Bones." He sat upstraight all of a sudden, hoping he wasn't pushing. "Unless, you - you know, you'd rather have me ... not here?" he asked as his words came out jumbled, wishing he had been able to hide his insecurities better. She was an independent woman after all and even if she was going to kick him out of her room, he wasn't sure he wouldn't stay in or near the hospital, and if she couldn't deal with his presence right now, he was determined to give her a little space, even though the mere thought of leaving her was breaking his heart.

"Booth, you look as though I've just kicked you out," she laughed slightly. "If you want to be here, that's fine, but I meant that you don't have to stay if you feel you're wasting your time. I would understand that." She reached out her hand to him and smiled. "Don't look so appalled! I'm just giving you options, I don't mean anything by it."

He breathed out in relief and a small smile replaced his frown as he entwined their fingers. "I want to stay here, Bones. I'm not wasting my time by spending it with you. Now rest, you. The more rest you'll have before the doc returns, the bigger chances are that I'll be taking you home tonight." Booth doubted it, but he knew it was practically the only way to get her to rest. And secretly, he longed to be able to take her home that very night, as well.

That statement certainly piqued her interest. "Okay," she eagerly agreed. "How do you want me to rest?"

He chuckled softly. "Even though I know this will sound stupid, seeing how badly I wanted you to wake up, I also know that the human body heals the quickest by sleeping. So if you can sleep, sleep. If not, just relax, okay?"

"Okay, I'm going to try. Try my hardest, mind you," she said, pointing her finger at him. "Don't forget what you promised."

"Bones, I didn't promise I would be taking you home, I just said that sleeping now would increase the chances," he pointed out to her.

"Hm, not what I got," she grinned innocently. She settled into the pillow. "If at any time you want to leave this room for whatever reason, you're allowed." She closed her eyes a while, then opened them to look at her partner with a smile. "It's over now," she told him. "I did what I could for myself this time."

He slowly nodded. "You did what you thought was the best thing the first time round, Bones. You managed to get away from him as soon as you possibly could. And yes," he leaned forward, placing his warm hand on her neck, his thumb resting on her cheek, slowly caressing her cheek in small circles, "I know that you didn't immediately go to the doctor and I can understand how, looking back, that fact would upset you. You have to keep in mind though that, at the time, you didn't have a choice. The truth is, he probably checked in on you from time to time during those first weeks, to make sure you kept your end of the 'deal'. You did everything you could for yourself when it was happening as well, Bones. You were strong and you got yourself through it. Just," he hesitated, before he continued in a soft whisper, "don't forget you're not alone this time."

She sighed through her nose and closed her eyes against the memories. She could stop them this time. His hand on her neck felt so nice and caring. "I know. It's such a relief." She looked up into his eyes. "If I asked, would you lie with me?"

He looked at the bed, and even though it was obvious it would be a tight fit, he couldn't deny her. "One one condition. That you will let me know as soon as you feel uncomfortable - and by that I don't mean already being in so much pain that you can no longer ignore it."

"Yeah, okay." She scooted over to the other side. "I'm asking you, in that case."

He got up, took off his shoes and lifted the blanket. He thought about it for a minute and deciding it would be best if she continued to lie on her back and not on her side, he lay down on his side, so he was facing her. "There, is that better?"

"Hold me," she requested and reached beside the bed to lift the head end a bit.

He grabbed her hand in his and placed it back down on the bed as he reached for the button to lift the bed, and pushed it. When the head end was elevated, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and scooted a bit closer, entwining their fingers with his other hand. "There," he kissed her temple, "that better?"

Her body felt heavy with sleep all of a sudden, and utterly relaxed. "Now I can rest," she smiled and placed a kiss on his chest. She wanted to curl into him, but thought it better to leave her lower body as it was. Soon, his rhythmic, massage-like stroking of her hair had lulled her to sleep.

When her breathing evened out, he realized she had fallen asleep. Now that the burden of worrying about her had lessened, with the surgery being behind them, he closed his eyes. "I love you, Bones," he whispered softly to her, before he drifted off as well.

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**Awe, wasn't that sweet? It's our fluffy side. We will really sincerely try to update twice this week! So stay tuned ;).**


	13. Chapter 13

**As promised, halfway during the week, here's the next part ;).**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_When her breathing evened out, he realized she had fallen asleep. Now that the burden of worrying about her had lessened, with the surgery being behind them, he closed his eyes. "I love you, Bones," he whispered softly to her, before he fell asleep as well._

Chapter 13

Booth was startled by a small sound and his eyes snapped open. As soon as he had located the source of the noise, he relaxed. In the door, the doctor was looking at them. Booth gently entangled his body from Brennan's. "Bones, wake up, sweetheart. The doctor is here."

When she awoke, it wasn't because she was done sleeping. Instinctively, she brought her hands down to her lap and her face twisted into a frown. "Ouch," she groaned.

Booth sat up straight and gently cupped her face in his hands, determined not to allow her to downplay the obvious fact that she had woken up because she was in pain, and not because of the fact that he had been trying to wake her up. "Where does it hurt?"

"Lower abdomen, and between my legs," she told him shortly. "Can't they take the thing out?"

Booth turned towards the doctor, not knowing the answer to her question. "Can you?"

"I'll page the nurse," Dr Singh Binda offered and did so right away. "Judging from this scene, you should prepare yourself for a night at the hospital, Dr Brennan." Brennan looked at him with a pained expression. "'Kay," was all she said, caring more about the pain than anything else at that moment. "Didn't you mention a pain killer of some sort?" she added.

Booth was surprised by how easily she agreed with the doctor and even more so by the fact that she asked for a painkiller. He got out of the bed and sat back down on the chair, giving her more room, so she could rest more comfortably._ Damn it! I never should've fallen asleep as well. If I hadn't been asleep, I probably would've noticed her pain and I could've called the doctor sooner._

"The nurse is already bringing that," the doctor said patiently. And indeed, Tess appeared within minutes. She attached a small IV bag to the tube running into Brennan's vein, informing her that it was the pain killer, and then she and Dr Singh Binda washed their hands and gloved up to remove the absorbing material. They closed the curtains.

"Booth, if you want to go for a walk or something, that's completely understandable," Brennan offered.

He thought about it for a moment and decided that it was probably best if he did leave for just a moment. He knew that it was hospital policy that the family members and visitors waited outside while the doctor was in with the patients, so he got up. "I'll be right outside." And he made his way over to the door.

Brennan watched her partner retreat, looking a little pale. She suspected it wouldn't do him much good to watch the nurse pull bloody things out of her body. Booth hadn't the strongest stomach. The nurse took her covers away and placed her legs apart. Brennan shivered, and Dr Singh Binda kindly put the covers over her upper body.

"Are you ready?" Upon her nod, he joined the nurse near the end of the bed to supervise what she was doing.

Brennan decided she didn't need to witness this, either, so she held the covers close to herself and looked at the ceiling. She felt something cold make contact with her heated skin, and then the nurse started to pull.

Booth had walked out of the hospital room and was pacing down the hall. A part of him had wanted to stay with her, to hold her hand and offer her support, while the other part knew that he wouldn't be able to be any kind of help to her while the doctor and the nurse were removing bloody gauze from the most sacred place of her body.

Brennan tightened her jaw as they pulled and the material began to move through her body. It had grown stuck into some healed wounds and hurt like hell to be torn loose.

"If you need a break, don't hesitate to tell us, Dr Brennan," Dr Singh Binda urged her.

"How much has to come out?" Brennan pushed the words through her tightly closed teeth as she tried to remember to breathe and relax.

"We're almost there."

"Just make it quick, then."

A pause. "All right, here we go."

A few more tugs and the material was loose. A few tears of pure physical pain ran over Brennan's cheeks, and she wiped at them. "Done?" she asked in a slightly higher voice.

"For now, yes," the doctor said and after a few moments finished his brief examination and straightened. "I suggest you remain in this position for a few more hours to give the small wounds some time to heal. Tomorrow morning I will be back to check on you and in the mean time you can push that red button to call a nurse if you need anything. All right, Dr Brennan? Then I wish you a good night."

The nurse cleaned her up and covered her with the blanket. When she got ready to throw away the material they'd just pulled from inside her, Brennan couldn't help herself and stole a glance. Her eyes turned big at the seemingly enourmous heap of red-stained material. All _that _had been inside her all these hours? Was that even possible? She realised she felt very stretched up again, like when she'd had the internal ultrasound. The nurse spoke some reassuring words to her and then left her alone. Brennan leaned back tiredly and kept a suspicious eye on the IV bag containing the pain killer.

When the doctor left her hospital room and the nurse followed a few seconds later, Booth walked back into the room, not even thinking about asking the doctor how she was doing. No. He was focused on finding out for himself. He walked into the hospital room and his breath was knocked out of his lungs as he found her, staring at the painkillers, as if the mere act of looking at the IV bag was going to take her pain away. He approached her and sat down in front of her. "Oh, sweetheart..." He brushed her hair back, caressing her cheek with his thumb._ This was better worth it._

She breathed out a mouthful of air. "It's all out. It was a huge amount! I can't imagine it all fit... She gave me this IV bag with a pain killer and now I'm waiting for it to work," she brought him up to date.

He nodded at her, encouraging her to allow herself to feel. He knew that that wasn't her instinctual reaction. Instinctively, this is what she did, what she had learned to do in order to survive. He didn't want that for her anymore, he wanted her to know that she didn't have to fight so hard not to fall. That he was there to catch her. "How do you feel, Bones?"

She scrunched up her nose. "It hurt a lot, but it's okay now. Uncomfortable, but not unbearable. There was a lot of blood; I even think you'd have fainted," she teased him.

"I wish I could give you a hug," Booth told her softly, feeling inadequate at helping her, to support the woman whom he loved with his entire being. He hated seeing her like this, in so much pain. Pain that could've been avoided. _Should've_ been avoided.

"You can give me a hug, I just shouldn't strain my lower body. I'm waiting for the bleeding to stop, you know." She opened her arms. "It'll have to be a careful hug," she smiled at him. Seeing him and having him be so adorably sweet to her never ceased to eventually bring her in a good mood.

He leaned down, keeping his arms positioned above her waist, allowing her to wrap her arms around him. He longed to give her a proper hug, to pull her close to his body and hold her there. Instead, he settled for this and laid his head down on her shoulder, his forehead resting against her neck. He slightly tilted his head and pressed a warm, open mouthed kiss to the side of her neck, not being able to resist giving her warm skin a slow lick, turning their careful hug into something deeper, more intimate.

She gasped at the unexpected tongue-contact. "Booth! God." Upon seeing his smiling face, she slapped his shoulder. "Don't tempt me, I shouldn't have sex when my lower body's a bloodied mess. Not even with you," she husked teasingly in his ear.

He was still not feeling his normal self, but apparently he had been able to lift her spirits. He gently kissed her cheek, before he pulled back. "We are never going to just 'have sex', Bones." He moved his attention from her cheek to her lips, keeping this kiss loving and tender. "When our bodies will finally join, it'll be so much more." He sat down in his chair and looked at her. "Another difference between having sex and making love, Bones. I don't need to be inside you to be able to let you feel my love, now do I?" He knew he was being cheeky and honoring his signature belt-buckle, but there was a core of truth to his words. He loved her with everything he had and he was determined to show her, to make her feel his love for her as often as humanly possible. For as long as she would let him, which he hoped was the rest of their lives.

"Booth... my arms are covered in goose bumps. We should really stop talking about sex - making love," she corrected quickly. "And incidentally, I don't feel even remotely attractive in this situation, so the fact that you're still willing to even be here all day can only be explained by a serious case of infatuation." She touched the tip of his nose with the tip of her index finger. "I feel very sorry for you, that I'm taking advantage," she smiled at him, teasingly.

"Not infatuation, Bones. Love. I'm here because I love you and I want to help you." He smiled at her. "You are not taking advantage of me. I'm an alpha male, remember? I love this, protecting my alpha female." He winked at her.

She smiled, suddenly blissfully happy. "Thanks," she said a bit shyly. "If it wasn't for you being who you are, I would never have told you - or anyone, I think. And I wouldn't have come to this day where I'm on my way to get back what was stolen from me in the past. And even if I had, it would have been a lot more scary and overwhelming without you. So know that I appreciate your support very much. You really are a good person and I'm convinced you'll go to Heaven."

"I have my heaven right here, Bones. Being with the one I love and..." he hesitated for a brief second, "and have you love me in return. I couldn't possibly ask for more."

"If that's all it takes to make you happy..." she suddenly changed her train of thought, "It would mean that I'm essentially God! Because I determine whether or not you'll be in Heaven." She smiled haughtily, a smile that told him anything he said wouldn't convince her otherwise. "It's a perfect syllogism."

He smiled at her, happy to see her usual, vibrant, logical self. "You should get some rest, Bones. And I wouldn't claim to be God again, the Man upstairs won't like it. But in some weird way, you are right. You are the one with the power to make me happy. You are the one I love and you are the one I have faith in, here on earth. You're my beautiful Bones; and you have no idea how much I love you and adore your heart, your strength, your conviction, your sense of right and wrong and your willingness to fight for what you believe in. You really are unique Temperance Brennan."

She regarded him with a broad smile. "You're not so bad yourself." They lovingly stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. "I don't know if the pain killer's finally working or if you've got me drugged up on endorphines," she said.

"As long as it's making you feel better, I don't care which one it is." He took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "Do you? Feel better, I mean?"

She nodded and pulled him down for a sweet kiss. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad you're here. You should go home to get some sleep, though."

"No." He was serious again all of a sudden. "I'm not leaving you here alone. I'm going to talk to the nurse and see if they can't bring in a cot or something like that." He stood up. "And if they can't, I suppose I'd better get enough coffee."

"What? Booth! You should take care of yourself. I'll be fine here, with this wonderful bag of pain killers. I won't die overnight or anything. I'd feel too guilty to be depriving you of sleep more than I already have. You must take good care of yourself, Seeley Booth." She said it in a tone of voice that indicated that was an order.

"I am." He approached her once more and sat down on the bed next to her. "Right now," he slowly placed his hands on either side of her waist, "Right now, taking care of me, means spending time with you, to make sure you are not alone. I mean it, Bones. I'm not leaving. Now if you'll excuse me," he pressed a kiss to her cheek, "I'm going to talk to the nurses and make sure they know I'll be spending the night here and that I really do need a bed, because my back can't take an entire night in that - that," he pointed at the hospital chair, "torture device."

Brennan chuckled, feeling her skin tingle where he touched her. "You're impossible. This love-thing's like a disease. But I guess, it's fun, too. And it feels nice. Most of the time. I do tend to worry about you." She stroked the skin on his arm with her hand. "Will you kiss me again before you leave?"

"You don't ever have to ask that, my love." He moved closer to her and pressed his lips to hers, coaxing her lips to open and the moment they did, he slowly slipped his tongue past her lips and tangled it with hers.

He had all of her body tingling, then, and she smiled against his lips, already looking forward to the feeling of being even closer to him. They'd have to wait a while, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. She responded to his actions and kissed him back passionately, keeping his head between her hands to achieve all the right angles. He was a delightful kisser, strong and thoughtful and intense. She loved the feel of his skin, and the taste of him. He always smelled nice, even when he got all sweaty after exercising. Butterflies did their tumbles inside her abdomen again, and she was convinced she could kiss him for the rest of the night.

As he felt her return his kiss, giving as good as she got, the last bit of tension in his body finally disappeared. Today had been a day of many emotions, but this, their love, was the one that stood out. He had been so scared to lose her today and instead, he had finally been given the gift he had been waiting for his entire life. Genuine love.

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**What did you think of this chapter? Is it getting too fluffy? Because we are known to not be able to help ourselves XD. Expect the next part this weekend!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Your reviews were once again amazing. It gives us such joy to know that sharing this story continues to give good reactions.**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_As he felt her return his kiss, giving as good as she got, the last bit of tension in his body finally disappeared. Today had been a day of many emotions, but this, their love, was the one that stood out. He had been so scared to lose her today and instead, he had finally been given the gift he had been waiting for his entire life. Genuine love._

Chapter 14

"Booth, give me a hand." Brennan had managed to sit up, turn and push her legs over the edge of the bed. Doctor Singh Binda had just agreed to send her home, and she knew she couldn't enjoy the benefits of the surgery until she got home. She had yet to let the idea of being fertile sink in. The present hurdle was to get to her feet again, however.

Booth went to stand in front of her and placed his hands on her waist, helping her into a standing position. "Careful, Bones." He couldn't suppress the smile on his face as he helped her to stand, ready to take her home. She had been forced to stay longer in the hospital than they had originally expected, but right now, it didn't matter anymore. She was coming home with him. Finally.

His strong hands on her waist kept her steady on her feet, and slowly she transferred her weight to her own legs. It felt a bit strange to use her muscles after many hours of lying limply in bed - semi-sedated half of the time. Booth let go of her and she looked at him sharply, feeling not yet secure, but he gave her a look that told her she was fine on her own, and she let go of his arms. Surprisingly, she remained standing.

"There ya go, Bones." He turned around and grabbed the duffel bag, which held her clothing. "Let's go home." He smiled at her as he opened the door, eager to get her out of the hospital and back home.

"Hey, Booth, you're overestimating me, here." She waved him back towards her. "I feel all bruised and swollen and I'm not confident to walk normally. I need your arm." He'd packed their belongings and swung the bag over his shoulder. She loved the idea of going home with him. It made her smile.

He walked back towards her, and offered her his arm. When she looked up at him, with that are-you-kidding-me look, he wrapped his arm around her waist, chuckling, "Better?"

Breathing out, she said, "Yes. Exactly what I had in mind." She stopped them, then. "Or wait. One more thing." She grinned cheekily and put an arm around his neck, pulling his head down towards her and pressing a big appreciative kiss to his cheekbone. "There. Now I'm ready to go."

During these last few days, he had noticed she had become a lot more tactile. She touched him more often, kissed him without being prompted by him. Booth enjoyed every minute of it. "Let's go, then!" He led her down the hospital hall, towards the elevator. A few minutes later, they were finally walking out. He sighed in pure contentment, loving the feel of the warm sunrays on his skin and a warm body in his embrace. When they arrived at the SUV, he carefully released her before he opened the door to the backseat and put her duffel bag in the trunk. He closed the door and turned to her, to help her get in the car.

She accepted his help getting into the car - simply because she had to, and got used to being in a sitting position. Comfortable was not a word that came to mind, but she wasn't in a lot of pain, either. Plus, she was in a good mood because they were going home - fertility intact.

He noticed her moving slowly and carefully, but he decided not to fuss about it, seeing how it was to be expected that her body would still be sore after the surgery. He drove them home, driving a little slower than usual, not wanting to hurt her. When they finally got there, he helped her out of the car and into the elevator, leaving the bag in the car, determined to help his Bones settle in and come back for it later.

"You don't have to look concerned, I'm fine," Brennan said with a knowing smile on her face as she patted his shoulder as they stood in the elevator. Almost home!

Smiling, he shook his head. "Of course you are." He kept his arm wrapped around her as they walked out of the elevator and entered their apartment. He gently nudged her in first and when he closed the door behind him, he sighed, wrapping both arms around her shoulders, standing behind her. "Home sweet home."

She turned in his arms and grabbed his face, kissing him. "Finally," she said against his lips. "And guess what?"

"What?" he indulged her as he carefully cradled her body in his embrace, looking into her vibrant blue eyes.

She leaned closer to him, bringing her face so close their noses were almost touching. "Next time you go groceries shopping..." She moved her gaze from his lips to his eyes, boring hers into them. "You'd better buy condoms," she whispered. "Because," she took another moment to torture him as she paused and smiled sweetly, "seeing as we're going to have sex, and I'm a fertile woman, we'll be needing protection." She ended her monologue with a sensual kiss to his mouth and felt his body respond to her suggestive words. She laughed playfully. "Not that soon, my love."

"Now whom is tempting who?" Booth whispered to her as he buried his head into the crook of her neck, feeling his body's immediate response to the notion that in the foreseeable future he was going to make love to the woman standing in front of him.

She laughed and moved her head to the side, giving him space to kiss her neck. "Well, I'm not just emotionally attracted to you, Booth. You're very symmetrical and bear the physical characteristics of a good breeder. It's been hard at times not to be able to act on my instincts." Her hands ran along his triceps, squeezing them. "You're very fascinating. With your physical and psychological abilities, you have power over people. And yet," she spoke as she traced the muscle definition in his left arm, "you don't intimidate me at all. In fact... you make me feel safe." Her eyes wandered back to his again. "You make me feel like I have a soul."

He disbelievingly stared at her when he heard her last few words. "Temperance, of course you have a soul. And a beautiful one at that." He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. "Don't doubt yourself, Bones. Because trust me, there isn't a single thing you need to doubt." He kissed her deeply. "You are all that I want Bones. All that I need. And I don't - I'm not going to say that my knowledge of human interactions doesn't help me in my own life, but I will never, ever try to control you or anyone else, okay?"

"But I didn't believe organisms had souls," she clarified, then kissed him back. "I really want to lie down," she said with a smile when they parted for air. "And I'm hungry," she hinted.

"Well you do. Everyone has a soul, Bones. And especially people like you." He pulled back, releasing her. "Why don't you go get comfortable in your bed, while I order take out? Once I've done that, I'm going to grab your bag and put the laundry in. You just relax and heal." He shooed her in the general direction of her bedroom as he walked further into the living room to order take out.

She allowed him for the umpteenth time to boss her around and even obeyed with a smile on her face. This man was bad for her, Ratio said. But she'd never been happier, Emotion countered. Brennan agreed with both and took off her shoes, then got into bed. There was a large window next to her, and she often enjoyed looking out on the busy street below. It was like meditation to her, calming her mind, allowing creative ideas to blossom.

He ordered Thai food, knowing that she had probably craved the spicy food after the hospital food she had been given these last few days and was told that the delivery would arrive within forty minutes. Satisfied that their dinner would be arriving soon, he turned around and quickly made his way out of the apartment. Jogging down the stairs, the suggestions she had whispered in his ear only moments ago continued to produce picture after picture in his mind and grinning, he retrieved her bag.

Booth returned quickly. She didn't jump when the door suddenly opened, like she had many times before when he entered. She was getting used to living with another person, now. A thoughtful person, who picked her up after work every day, did groceries shopping with her or even for her, and who turned out to be an excellent cook. She had all the fun in the world with him; he kept making her laugh. But also, he was the first person in whose presence she didn't feel ashamed to cry. The first person she consciously committed herself to.

Booth walked through the door, entering her apartment, and made his way to her washroom, where he started the laundry. Once it was going strong and could be left alone, he left for her bedroom, but when he was halfway there, the doorbell rang and he changed his course. He grabbed his wallet on the way to the front door and paid for their dinner, giving the delivery boy a big tip, being too happy about having Bones home to care about money. He went back to the kitchen, where he put their food on their plates, enjoying the heavenly smell of it and savoring the normalcy of having take out for dinner with his Bones. Things were returning back to normal and yet, they had never been more different.

Enticing smells wafted in from the kitchen and pulled her out of her midday slumber. He'd ordered Thai! She smiled contentedly despite the pain between her legs. But she was healing, and that was the goal. Well, the real goal had become something different, but she needed to heal in order to reach the ultimate goal. To make love with Seeley Booth. The mere thought excited her. It was a new thing; something she'd never done before, and it was supposed to be something utterly pleasant.

He grabbed both their plates and made his way to her bedroom. He pushed the door open further with his foot and walked in. "I hope you're hungry, 'cause this smells delicious!" He settled himself on her bed and handed her one of the plates. He had made sure both plates were full and there was still a little on the counter, ready to be put in the fridge, so they would have something to eat in case they got hungry, seeing how there had been nothing edible in the kitchen. "Enjoy, Bones." He winked at her, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

"Nice!" she smiled hungrily and sat upright, her back against the headboard, and took the plate and chopsticks from him. They smiled meaningfully at one another and began to eat in comfortable silence.

They enjoyed the Thai food in an easy silence. They had never felt the need to fill every available moment with small-talk. No, they actually relished in their quiet moments; he did, anyway. He loved the easy-going feeling it accompanied. It was one of the few moments he was able to relax fully, having dinner with his Bones. Consequentially, it didn't take long before their plates were empty and their tummy's full. Booth gathered the dirty plates and used chopsticks as he got up. "I'm quickly going to do the dishes, okay? Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes, you," she smiled. "Let me help you with that. I need to get some exercise."

He shook his head as he walked out of the room, calling back over his shoulder, "Not a chance, Bones. You have to rest."

"Would it help if I said 'please'?" she called after him.

He grinned at her pleading, turning open the faucet. "Nope. Not at all," he called back.

"Then what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

Booth rolled his eyes, slipped the plates into the hot water and grabbed a towel, drying his hands as he returned to the bedroom. He walked up to her bed and drew back the covers. "Lie down, Bones." When she was about to speak up, he leaned down and kissed her full on her lips. "Now please, lie down, I'll bring you a book or your laptop or whatever if you don't want to sleep. If your mind doesn't want to rest, at least allow your body to."

"If you think you can render me without a will of my own by simply kissing me, you're mistaken," she warned him. "But I'll have my forensic journals, thank you very much."

"You have no idea how many tricks I have up my sleeve to render you without a will of your own," he whispered huskily as he brushed her lips again with his. "And I thought that you were looking forward to that..." He suddenly straightened. "Oh well, if you'd rather be stubborn than rested," he teased as he went to get her journals, as she had asked him to.

Half an hour later, her protests forgotten, Brennan was engrossed in the articles filled with new, exciting discoveries in the field of which she stood at the top. Therefore, it took her a good full two minutes to become aware of a presence in the doorway.

Booth was looking at her, his arms crossed in front of his chest, leaning against the doorpost. "Hey there. Just go on reading Bones. I was just coming to check on you, to make sure you are okay."

She smiled broadly. "I always find this fascinating. It makes me want to go back to university and just devote myself to research." Yet, she put the journal down. "Do you want to do something together?"

He chuckled, "Nah, read up on your sciency stuff, Bones. I was just going to take a shower and maybe watch some tv before I go to bed."

"Okay," she agreed, still smiling simply because he was within her sight. "Will you come here when you're ready to sleep? I'd like that, if you want."

He wanted to crawl into bed with her and press his body to hers, so he would be able to hold her the entire night, however, he refused, feeling a little insecure. Her body still needed to heal and the best way to ensure that, would be if they stayed in separate beds for at least another week or so. "That's not necessary, Bones. I'll sleep in my own bed. I'm gonna go take that shower."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll be here if you change your mind." They'd been virtually joined at the hip; she'd allow him some space now. "I'm all for you taking care of yourself," she winked at him.

Booth headed towards the bathroom and turned on the hot water before he stripped. As soon as he was naked, he stepped under the shower-head. The warm water caressing his skin as it washed away the frustration and uncertainty of the last few days. He enjoyed his shower as he allowed his mind to stray to the various fantasies he had been entertaining of the both of them together in the last few years. He couldn't believe the fact they were about to come true. After all this time, they had finally allowed their feelings to surface. He shuddered as he thought about how wrong things could've gone if she hadn't told him what she had meant when she had said she couldn't change. All of a sudden, he felt the inexplicable need to be close to her. Not even thinking twice about the fact that he hadn't washed his hair or his body, he turned the water off. Stepping out of the shower, he reached for a towel and dried his body. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he made his way to her bedroom. It all happened in a blur and before he knew what was happening, he was standing in her bedroom, with only the towel preserving his modesty.

She looked up from her journal, surprised that he took such a short time to shower. Her eyes snapped to his bare torso, where pearls of water slid down the planes of his abs. Her mouth opened and the air in the room became wired. Her body had already initiated the motion of putting her journal down, when she remembered why she couldn't drag him into her bed. So she sat there, keeping very still, waiting to see what he'd do while some part of her hoped he would get in the bed and ravage her.

"I - I," Booth swallowed as he locked gazes with her. "I changed my mind."

Her throat had got so dry she couldn't speak, so she merely closed her mouth and pulled back the covers with a welcoming smile.

He took a step forward before realizing his state of undress. He didn't particularly want to go back to his room and get a pair of sweatpants, but he wasn't sure how she would react. When she smiled at him, he decided to simply ask. After all, it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, thanks to Sweets. _Indirectly anyway._ "Uhm." He waved his hand in front of his lower half as he continued to look at her. "I'm gonna go change. I'll be right back."

"Booth!" she called after him once she'd regained the use of her voice. "Please don't put on too many clothes! I really enjoyed the view. It was breathtaking," she smiled to herself at the memory.

He relaxed at her blunt statement as he made his way to his bedroom. As soon as he got there, he dropped the towel on the floor, not even bothering to pick it up. Simultaneously, he opened a drawer and grabbed a pair of boxers. He pulled them on and returned to her bedroom. This time, when he walked into her room, he didn't hesitate to walk up to her bed and crawl down in between the sheets, next to her.

Only half-joking, Brennan grabbed the sheets and pulled them halfway down. She cocked an appreciative eyebrow as her eyes roamed over his chest. "Sorry," she said quickly when she noticed his questioning look. She covered his chest with the sheets again and smiled innocently at him. "I was checking you out," she admitted with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I noticed," he pulled the covers back again, "feel free, Bones." He lay down with his hands behind his head, wanting to relax and cool off as he was lying next to her. In her bed. For the first time, since they had become a couple. Yes, they had shared a bed before, but never like this. Never knowing that she loved him. Never with the knowledge that she was aware of his deepest feelings for her.

She burst out laughing and dropped the journal to the floor. She crawled underneath the covers as well and hugged his chest, kissing his collar bone. "You think you're simply irresistible, don't you? You're so cocky, Booth," she affectionately scolded him.

"Hence the belt buckle, Bones." He wrapped his arms around her. "You don't think they just hand them out to anyone, now do you?" he teased her as he tucked the sheets in around them, creating a warm cocoon filled with love and happiness.

She rolled onto her side, being sick of lying on her back all day. With the amount of endorphines running through her veins, she wouldn't feel it if she broke her leg. Booth pulled the covers over them as they both lay on their sides facing each other. "I feel like kissing you again," she told him honestly.

"Please do," he told her playfully as he scooted a little closer, brushing his nose against hers, giving her a sweet, chaste, Eskimo kiss.

Their lips met once. "You'll suffer through it?" she asked him coyly.

He sighed dramatically. "I'm willing to make the sacrifice." He tried to look serious, but he failed as a smile graced his lips. "Stop torturing me, woman," he whispered as he leaned closer and kissed her soundly.

She allowed her head to be pressed back into the pillow and explored the soft and hard parts of his chest, back and abdomen. And his arms! He had the best build. He was simply delicious, and beautiful. She pressed her chest into his and hugged him closer, and closer still as their tongues caressed one another. "Still suffering?" she asked him breathlessly.

"Nope," he told her as he hovered over her. He frowned at her as he gently brushed his fingers through her curls. "You're okay, right? I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"If this is pain, I'm loving it," she replied with a grin and pulled him back against her. The kiss was intense and she felt herself melting into him. When his right hand lingered idly on her arm, she took it and put it over her breast, where she left her hand on top of his.

He groaned at her actions and gently started to massage her breast, feeling a burst of love towards her. "We are not doing this today, Bones," he murmured against her lips, "but maybe it is time to get to know each other a little better, don't you think?"

"Mm," she moaned into his mouth. "Such a shame..." She arched her back, pushing her breast into his palm. Her spine was tingling, her body completely ready and at his mercy. She took his fingers and pushed his hand down, placing it under the hem of her shirt against her bare skin.

Carefully avoiding her lower abdomen, his hand slowly slipped beneath her shirt, making contact with her bare skin, his fingers slowly caressing the side of her breast, as he continued to kiss her.

She felt her weight slipping away until she felt as light as a feather and was melting into him like heated chocolate. Her fingers squeezed his broad shoulders and her body absorbed the heat coming off his. They were like one ecosystem, in symbiotic dependence on each other. Impatiently, she kissed him more deeply and pushed her hips into his.

"Tsk tsk tsk, slow down, Bones. Not tonight." He kept his touch light as he continued to fondle her breast, which seemed to fit perfectly in his hand. "Just enjoy this. Us."

She pulled back and sighed. She lightly placed her hand on his chest, then on his neck, sighing once more. "It's not fair we have to wait."

"No, it's not," he agreed with her, "but it's not time yet. Your body is not ready yet, Bones. And I'm not taking any chances."

She hid her face in his chest, cuddling now. "You're right, but it just - frustrates me. It makes me angry." Defiantly, she snuggled closer against him.

"I understand that, honey, but we are not taking chances. I remember what the doctor said about your high pain threshold and I want you to be able to enjoy it." He kissed the top of her head. "One hundred per cent."

"I know, I know," she sighed. "But it's just -" she bit her lip, "I inevitably think of All The Evil - that's what I call it, you know."

_Undoubtedly another way to compartmentalize,_ he thought as he hugged her closer. "Bones, it's okay to talk about it. It's never going to happen again and I don't think differently about you. You don't have to if you don't want to of course, but I want you to know that I'm here for you."

"I thought it was over, but now - well, I find it keeps coming back anyway. In one form or another." She felt warm and safe in his arms, which made it easier to talk.

"You pushed it away all these years ago. It was bound to come back, sweetheart. And I think that it's best if you allow it to come back. Just a little bit at a time." He loved the feeling of her body, resting in his arms. "You're safe with me. I will catch you, Bones. I promise."

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**Next time: A change of scenery. Stay with us and have a good week ;).**


	15. Chapter 15

**We are so pleased with the number of people reading this story. Thank you all! We'll do our best to hold your attention ;).**

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_Previously in The Fact in the Lie:_

_"You pushed it away all these years ago. It was bound to come back, sweetheart. And I think, that it's best if you allow it to come back. Just a little bit at a time." He loved the feeling of her body, resting in his arms. "You're safe with me. I will catch you, Bones. I promise."_

Chapter 15

Brennan sat in the car next to a slightly sulky Booth trying to hide his excitement because he was acting insulted. She grinned as she turned the wheel of the car. That morning, she'd had her last check-up at the hospital, and Dr Singh Binda had given her the green light. Everything was healed and healthy now. When she and Booth had walked out of the hospital, she'd told him to drive them to her apartment, gather clothes for a week and turn over the car keys to her. Of course, he had put up a half-hearted struggle, but her female charms had managed to convince him eventually. She wouldn't disclose their destination to him and he was a bit sulky because she was treating him like a child in his opinion. She was bossing him around and he didn't like it. Or so he said, because the grin he was trying to hide broke past the tightness of his expression every now and then. To make him feel a bit better, she'd put on his favourite radio station. When they had left the city behind and the landscape began to change, she announced, "We're almost there."

He had no idea where she was taking him, although it was pretty obvious why she was taking him somewhere. Even though he did like the prospect of spending some alone time with her and finally having a chance to show her his love - to let her feel it, to share it - he absolutely disliked the fact that he wasn't the one driving. _Oh well, at least, it's for a good cause... I hope._ When she turned his favorite radio station on, it was getting increasingly harder to hold onto his sulky, broody mood. When she finally announced that they had almost reached their destination, he relaxed and grinned at her. "Thank god. Remind me to never let you drive again." Quickly, he held his hands up in front of him defensively. "Hey, I'm just saying, I don't touch the human remains either, that's your thing." He pointed to himself. "Driving is mine, that's all I'm saying."

"No, interrogation is your thing," she corrected him. "There's nothing wrong with my driving, so there's no need to fuss. I'll get you your keys back when we get there," she promised. They got off the highway, driving towards hills and forest. "Have I ever told you about the lakehouse?" she asked Booth.

He sighed. "No, Bones, you haven't." He added in a low murmur, looking out the window, "and driving _is _my thing." However, the beauty of the surrounding landscape wasn't lost on him and he continued in a normal tone of voice. "Quite the view here," he turned back to her. "So, what is this about a lakehouse?"

"I'm surprised I never told you about it. You remember the case when we took care of Andy, right?" Not waiting for his confirmation, she continued. "Well, I had the bridge renovated, and one of the elderly couples gave me a copy of a key. They said they owned this wonderful lakehouse and I was welcome to use it. So that's where we're going," she explained.

He did remember that case, it was one of the few he remembered in clear detail, not because of the body or the kill, but because of the fact that he had been able to witness a completely different side of her. It was during that case that he had finally begun to understand just how warm and big her heart really was, even if she had continued to ignore that particular organ for years to come. "I see. How long do you want to stay there?"

"I took a week off," she replied, turning onto a dirt road. "Your car's going to get dirty," she informed him neutrally.

"And this is why I drive," he grumbled, but he didn't really care. Not about his car, not when he had an entire week to spend with the woman he loved, now that he was capable of finally showing her to love fully and to receive it in return. They had talked a lot about what had happened to her all these years ago, and slowly - but surely - she was starting to give it a place in her life. She was no longer blaming herself - for as far as he knew - and she had opened up to him about it. He had suggested she talked to Angela as well, but he had no idea whether or not she had taken his advice.

She merely gave him a smile and turned her attention back to the road. Ten minutes later, she drove across a small hill and the lake was revealed straight ahead. She rounded it to get to the wooden house and parked the SUV underneath a wooden protrusion that served as a roof. Sort of. "Well, we're here," she smiled and unbuckled her seat belt, turned off the ignition and held up the keys to her partner.

He took the keys as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I hope you enjoyed the ride, 'cause it won't happen again anytime soon." He pecked her lips before he pulled back and unbuckled his seatbelt, ready to get out of the car and get them settled in. He knew she was okay, that she was healthy, but he didn't want her to push her body. "If you pop the trunk, I'll get our stuff."

She did and joined him at the back of the car. She breathed in the crisp, clean air and let it purify her lungs. Booth was hoisting their bags onto his shoulders and she grabbed three herself, then slammed down the lid of the trunk. "Don't forget to lock the car," she told him teasingly and fished the housekey from her pocket, preceding him to the front door.

He rolled his eyes as she took half of the bags herself and resigned himself to the fact that this was who his Bones was. Strong and very capable of taking care of herself. He smiled and muttered, "Wouldn't have it any other way," as he locked the car and followed her inside. The moment he set foot inside, he didn't know where to look first. "Wow, Bones, it's gorgeous!"

"You think? I'll let Mrs Holden know; she decorated this place herself. I like it, too. It's very cosy out here." She crossed the living room and took a left, entering the stair well, and mounted the creaky steps. The bedroom with the king-sized bed was accessible through the third door on her right. Booth followed her inside and they dumped their luggage on the bed. Brennan proceeded to open a window to let some fresh air into the room. The view of the lake was beautiful. Sunlight glinted off the mellow waves, brightening the air above the water. To the left side of the lake was an old rowing boat, and it moved along with the water, rhythmically thumping into its pier. The forest surrounding them looked dark and mysterious, while the icy blue sky was far-stretching and open. Brennan turned back to Booth and smiled happily.

He approached her, walking around the bed. Once he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her, looking out the window. "Thanks for bringing me here, Bones. It really is beautiful." He looked at her, pulling her closer to his chest. "Not as beautiful as you, though."

She grinned. "You cannot compare a view with a human, Booth," she pointed out. She turned in his arms and pressed herself against him, kissing his lips. "The Holdens are old people. They've asked me to stay here twice a year and make sure the house doesn't fall apart. Of course, if I want to, I can use it more often. Maybe we could stay here one weekend each month. We could do some maintenance and relax." She looked into his brown eyes and stroked her hand through his hair.

"That would be nice." A broad, teasing smile stretched over his lips. "There is nothing I can compare your beauty too, Bones. You're one of a kind. I love you so much and you have no idea how happy you've made me these last four months. Maybe I could do a little work here around the house during the last two months of my leave? I know you can't wait to go back to work, and at least, I'll be doing something useful with my time."

"Sure." She stood next to him, her arm around his waist, his around her shoulders. "We're having Mac 'n Cheese for dinner, by the way," she informed him.

"And are you finally going to tell me what the big secret is?" He knew she wouldn't, but he couldn't resist asking her anyway. "Why don't I help you cook it?" he asked her, the mischief twinkling in his warm, relaxed, brown eyes.

"That won't be necessary," she said calmly, smiling to herself. "Maybe on my deathbed I'll tell you. Maybe," she teased.

He sobered a little. "Don't joke about that, Bones." He pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head, holding her close. "I don't want to lose you. And we've been in too many situations where that outcome was a real possibility." His mind strayed back to the few horrible moments after her surgery where she had no longer reacted to his voice, his touch, his presence. He took a deep breath and released her slowly. "I'll start unpacking. You go cook that delicious dinner. I'm starving." With a smile on his face, he kissed her before he completely released her, turning to their bags.

Still feeling light-headed from his kisses, she happily descended the stairs after grabbing the food bag. Downstairs, she crossed to the kitchen and unpacked the ingredients. She took a cloth and cleaned the dust from the kitchen counter and the kitchen table, then set to work. The house smelled of wood and dirt. A particular freshness hung in the air, and she checked to see if there were any logs left for in the fireplace. There was no electricity here, so they needed to get everything ready before dusk.

Booth started to unpack their bags and put their clothes in the drawers and wardrobe that were in the bedroom. The unpacking went swiftly, until he opened the third of the bags she had packed and revealed the assortment of lingerie she had seemingly chosen very carefully. A blush crept over his cheeks and he closed the bag again, placing it down on the floor, next to her nightstand. He grabbed the remaining bag containing the toiletries and left for the bathroom. Once he got there, he quickly emptied the last bag, putting the soaps, shampoos, towels and all of the other stuff away. When he was finally done, he gathered the empty bags and reached for his car keys in his pocket as he made his way downstairs. The smell coming from the kitchen was heavenly, but he decided not to enter it, knowing he wouldn't leave it anytime soon. Instead, he just opened the door and leaned in with his upper body. "Bones, I'm gonna put the bags back in the car, okay?"

She turned away from the stove for a second. "Okay," she smiled. "Dinner's almost ready." While the food had not needed her attention, she'd placed candles on virtually every surface in the room. She'd also checked the supply of gas in one of the cupboards. She remembered bringing a few tanks in from the city the last time she was here. Everything seemed all right and ready to use. She set the table and put the steaming pan on a round piece of cork so the table wouldn't burn. Then, she threw on her coat and went out the back of the house to retrieve some logs from the small shed outside.

Booth quickly stashed the empty bags in the car, locking it, before he returned to the kitchen. He hadn't bothered to put on a coat and when he entered the house again, he went straight for the kitchen. "Hey, Bones, I'm ba..." He was surprised when he didn't find her. "Where did she go?" He turned back around and was ready to go look for her, when he heard the door open and close. Turning around, he saw her standing in the doorway, carrying a pile of logs. "There you are. Here, let me help you with that." He grabbed the majority of the logs from her and followed her into the living room.

"Put them in the basket beside the hearth," she instructed him as she did the same. "Are you hungry yet?"

He nodded. "Yes, the Mac 'n Cheese smells delicious, Bones. Let's go eat, huh?" It had been hours since their last meal, and Booth was starving. He reached for her hand and, entwining their fingers, he led them to the kitchen. As soon as they sat down, Booth dealt both of them a healthy helping of the delicious-looking gooey stuff. Booth took his first bite and could hardly disguise his groan of approval. "God, Bones, this stuff gets better every time you make it."

She grinned and took a more modest bite of the food herself. "I added something extra this time. I take it the customer's pleased." The table was no larger than a four-person restaurant table, and their feet met underneath. She playfully kicked his foot away and smirked at him as she continued to eat.

Tapping her foot with his in return, he smiled seductively. "The customer is pleased." Booth took another bite, "Very pleased." He swallowed. "You do realize that you'll have to cook it at least once a week since you won't give me the recipe, right?"

"It's better to follow a variable diet," she commented. "But if you like it that much, I guess I could make it once a week. As long as you'll follow through with the grilled cheese sandwiches, of course." They ate in companiable silence and sent each other smiles and looks as their plates emptied and filled again. At some point, Brennan stood and retrieved a bottle of wine from just outside the door. "It's nice and cold," she said and poured two glasses. "Here's to us enjoying ourselves this week," she proposed as she raised her glass.

"To us," he repeated before taking a sip. For the first time in weeks, they fully relaxed. Well, at least Booth was able to fully relax. She had seemed fine, recovering well, both physically and emotionally, but it would be a blatant lie to pretend he hadn't been worried about her. However, looking at her, so carefree, laughing and teasing, he allowed himself to relax as well. When the plates were empty and their stomachs full, Booth got up and started to clear the table.

Brennan filled the sink with water she had cooked on the stove and began doing the dishes. Booth dried. "It feels as if we're the only two people in the world right now," she said and glanced at him. "And I would be okay with that. For a while anyway," she added.

Booth nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind spending some more one-on-one time with you too, Bones." There was a brief silence before he cleared his throat and broached the subject he had been carefully avoiding. "Although, you know - if you wanted to - we could expand our little family?" He continued to dry the dishes as he waited for her answer.

Her hands stilled for one moment, then she pulled herself together. "That's a little soon, Booth," she told him quietly. She'd thought about it, but now that the possibility was there, she suddenly found herself at a loss. What did she want? Did she want children just to prove to herself and the world that she was able to? Or did she really want them?

Booth nodded. "I understand." They continued to do the dishes and when they were done, Booth handed the towel to her so she could dry her hands. "Why don't you go sit on the couch in the living room, while I light a fire?"

She nodded and sat in the corner of the comfortable, swallow-you-half sofa, snuggling into the soft fabric. Her thoughts elsewhere; she was looking in Booth's direction as he worked, but not seeing him. She did want a child, didn't she? Yes, she did. But how could she be certain that it was true? How could she know what she wanted?

As she sank into the couch, almost disappearing in it, he turned to the hearth and started a fire with the logs they had carried in earlier. As he worked, he thought about his own question. He had no doubt in his mind that he wanted to expand their family. _But this was exactly what I was concerned about. I don't think she really knows whether or not she wants to have a baby. As soon as she found out that she was infertile, she spent her entire adult life convincing herself that it didn't matter, since she didn't want to be a mother. But now? She has a lot to think about._ And he wanted to help her with that, he was just a little hesitant, because he had never hidden the fact that he was a family man._ I don't want her to feel pressured._ When he had finally been able to start a fire and the flames licking the logs, he got up and joined her on the couch. "Penny for your thoughts?"

She smiled tiredly at him and kicked off her shoes, pulling her legs onto the couch. "I was wondering how one can know for certain that what one thinks one wants, is really what one wants."

"That's the wrong question. People know what they want in life. What the real question is, is whether or not they are willing to deal with the unpleasant things that come along with that choice. And you figure that out, by thinking it through. You don't only think about the positive aspects, but you weigh them against the negative ones. And if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, you know it's worth it." He turned to her. "Being a parent is more than just giving birth and enjoying your kids. It's about putting their needs before your own. It's about sacrificing for them. Some sacrifices are easy to make, hell they aren't sacrifices at all. Giving up on other things is harder." He gently covered and squeezed her hand, "That's how you know it. By figuring out if you'd put them first. If you would give them what they need, no matter what the cost might be."

"You mean my job?" she asked him in a sad voice.

"Partially, yes. You'll need and want to spend time with him or her. It's not an either-or situation, Bones. I know how much you love your work. So no, you wouldn't have to give up every aspect of it." He sighed, "I'm not explaining this right. I don't think it would be necessary to give up your job. However, the late nights, the weekends, those are moments that you'll probably want to spend with him or her. To bond."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Right." She would have to think about that. On the other hand, she kept seeing a baby's face. She didn't know where it came from - her subconscious? She'd dreamed about carrying a baby in her arms. Not just a baby, though. It was the same one every time. And she just knew it was a girl. Obviously, the idea had been planted in her mind. And at least financially, she could do with less work. But once the child would go to school, Brennan would not be able to travel across the country every other weekend to lecture or attend a seminar. Her life would change. But change wasn't necessarily bad. Well. She'd have to think it through.

He could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. "I think you do want to be a mother." It was a bold statement, but he didn't let that stop him. "I just think that you need some time to adjust to the possibility and to figure out what you are and are not willing to change." Booth scooted a little closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "And you're not alone. You wouldn't have to raise this baby by yourself." He twirled his fingers through her curls. "You're not the only one who could cut back on their hours at work." He kissed her cheek and softly whispered, "You have me."

"We'd need a babysitter. Where do you get those?" she asked, willing to brainstorm on the idea.

"Well, we could hire someone, although I don't like the idea of my children spending their free time with strangers. You know, family is always an option." He looked at her. "Max is an option." He quickly added, "Or, you know, a daycare center." He knew that Max would protect his grandchild with everything in him, but he could see why she would have problems with that particular option.

She frowned disapprovingly. "Not a daycare centre. I will not allow my children to be institutionalised. I was, for a while, and it counteracts development." A ball of protectiveness rose inside her chest. "I'd quit my job before I let that happen to them," she said with determination and resentment. "Maybe Max would be an option," she considered carefully.

"Yeah," he agreed, slightly confused by her fierce disapproval and her reluctant openness towards her father. "You know, it's obvious he's made mistakes in his life, but before he - they - left, they took good care of you and Russ, right? And he'd protect them, he would enrich them, love them. I think they would be safe with him."

"Hm." She would take that point into consideration, too. "Would Parker object to sharing your attention with a sibling?" she asked Booth as she leaned into his side and put her hand affectionately on his leg.

"No," he shook his head determinedly, "he has been asking for a really, really, long time why he doesn't have a brother or sister. He wants to be a big brother." He smiled as she put her hand on his leg. He enjoyed the contact, the closeness, the intimacy of the simple act immensely.

"Booth, does Parker like me?"

He was surprised by her question and looked into her eyes. "Of course, Bones! He loves spending time with you! You have no idea how often he asks me why we can't do anything together during the weekends. He likes to spend time with you." He shifted, "Granted, you two haven't spent _that _much time together, but he likes you. He does."

"Why?" she wanted to know.

"Because he feels comfortable around you. You know what he once told me?" Booth tenderly caressed her cheek. "That you're not complicated, that you're easy to talk to. He told me that you sometimes used big words, but that you explained them, so he could understand. You help him grow, Bones."

"Would he like this place? Maybe he could come over a weekend," she suggested, snuggling into her partner. "He's a good boy. But I guess he got that from his dad," she smiled.

"Nah, he has his own personality. I just try to be there for him, to help him when he gets confused." He held her close to him. "And you know, I think he would love it here. And it's a great idea. Parker is no baby anymore, but maybe you can come to a decision on whether or not you want to be a mother by spending time with him?"

"Yes, I was thinking that." She pushed herself up to kiss him on the cheek. "If I had a child, I wouldn't want the father to be anyone else but you."

He kissed her deeply, touched by her words, and held her close to his body. "I love you."

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**We are nearing the end, BUT: new fics are in the making ^^. So, Brennan wants to conduct an experiment with Parker to see what raising a child is like. First, though, another kind of experiment needs to be conducted... but that's for next week ;). Stay tuned, everyone!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Welcome back everyone! This will be the last chapter, followed by an epilogue. Thank you for staying with us.**

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_Previously on The Fact in the Lie:_

_He kissed her deeply, touched by her words, and held her close to his body. "I love you."_

Chapter 16

She opened her eyes while he kissed her and was humbled by the intense, focused expression on his face. She stopped kissing him back and when he slowed, too, she told him seriously, "I love you, too, Booth." And she wrapped her arms around him and hugged his body to hers. "Will you love me tonight?" she requested in a soft voice, her breath upon his neck.

"Tonight and every other night you want me to." He whispered into her ear, pulling her onto his lap. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this," Booth slipped his hand beneath her shirt, tenderly caressing her back.

In response to his caress she pressed a kiss to his neck. "We should close the window and make the bed, or it'll be too cold for your sexual organs to work the way I'd like them to," she smiled at him and got off his lap. Once she was standing, she bent over and pressed another kiss to his lips. "I'm so glad you're here."

Booth followed her example and got up as well, his arms sneaking around her waist, anchoring her body to his. "I like the way you think, Bones. Why don't you go warm the bed for us, so it won't be too cold? I'll close the window and I'll join you in a minute." He pressed a soft kiss to her temple before he released her.

She couldn't help but smile delightfully and mounted the stairs. Slowly, the fire in the fireplace would warm the house. She closed the window in the bedroom, but not before taking a deep, cleansing breath. From tonight on, things would be different for her. For the both of them. She'd start a new way of living, take a gamble for once. Though with Booth at her side, it didn't feel like a gamble. It felt like a logical step. And she was curious to see what would come out of it. She hardly dared admit it to herself, but she had faith. Quickly, she closed the window and collected sheets from the closet, realizing she was making the bed they would make love in, the butterflies doing their rounds inside her abdomen at the thought.

As he closed the windows, he checked the fire, which was still burning satisfactorily. A very different kind of fire had been lighted inside his own body and he could feel it roar as his thoughts strayed to the beautiful woman, who was currently upstairs, getting ready for a night filled with love and love making. Knowing how important this was for the both of them, he had insisted to wait until they had been given the official okay from her doctor. Now that the moment had finally arrived, he could no longer wait. After having closed the windows, he checked the front door and when he found it unlocked, he locked it and made his way upstairs. Love, longing and anticipation spurring him on.

She was lighting the last of the candles, providing a minimum of soft, yellow vision as the outside world darkened. The sounds from the woods silenced until all that could be heard was the thumping of the old rowing boat against the pier. The bed was made with red covers. The colour of love, and passion, and, symbolically, blood. Blood from the wounds of her experiences, turned into passionate love. It was the right moment. As the wick caught the flame, she felt a familiar pair of arms close around her waist. Grinning, she straightened. "I believe the phrase was," she placed her hands on his forearms, "'Hello stranger.'"

"Let's not stay strangers. I'd like to get to know you." His hands disappeared beneath the fabric of her shirt, trading it for the soft warmth of her skin. "Really get to know you, Bones." He nuzzled her neck, not able to hide the satisfied smile as her body relaxed against his.

She brought her arms up and around his neck, then tipped up her chin so she could kiss him while simultaneously giving him more access to her skin. The mood between them had changed, both knowing what the goal of the night was. Both ready to fully enjoy each other on a physical level for the first time.

Booth's lips found hers and as his tongue slowly slipped between her lips, finding hers, while his hands slipped higher. Finally giving himself permission to cup her beautiful breasts, his fingers roamed over the smooth silk of her bra. He groaned appreciatively as her nipples hardened under his gentle administrations. He slowly ended their kiss, kissing his way to her neck, inhaling her sweet, unique scent. "God, Bones, you feel so good. Your skin is so soft." All of a sudden he wondered where the hell he had found the patience to wait so long to do this. Have her like this and give himself to her. Nonetheless, he was glad he had, because now they had the chance to make the night unforgettable.

She moaned into his mouth and her cheeks flushed upon his compliment. Perhaps also because he was already driving her crazy with impatience. She'd never been so glad to possess the body parts called breasts. He made her body feel so good. So much better than she thought possible. "Take off my shirt," she spoke determinedly and pushed her buttocks into his hips.

Gladly, he did as she asked and slipped his hands out from underneath her shirt and slowly started to unbutton it. "You have no idea how long I have waited for this, Bren." Booth popped open the first button, unintentionally letting the nickname slip which he had used to address her in his coma dream. "How many times I have dreamed about this..." Working his way up, he unbuttoned another one, slowly pushing the two sides apart, so his bare arms could rest on her bared tummy. A third button gave way to his capable fingers. "How many times I have fantasized about this moment. Just," he unbuttoned the last one, letting the shirt fall open, "you and me." He pressed an open mouthed kiss to the side of her neck, gently sucking on her skin as he pushed the fabric over her shoulders and down her arms, discarding it on the floor.

Helpfully, she lowered her arms and her shirt fell to the floor. She decided it was time to return some favours and turned around, sinking down on her knees to grab the hem of his shirt in her fists and push upward as she rose, placing kisses along her way up. Finally, she pushed the gathered material over his head and pressed their bare upper bodies against one another. Her skin was on fire everywhere it met his. "I must admit," she breathed between kisses to his collar bone, "I've thought about this, too."

As soon as the annoying garment had been successfully removed and he was able to bring his arms down, he wrapped them around her waist. Slowly, his hands rose and stopped at the clasp of her bra. Tracing the silk of her bra with his tongue, he unclasped it and lowering the fabric, Booth pressed his lips to the enticing, freshly bared skin.

Brennan's head fell back with a gasp as his mouth latched onto her hyper-sensitive skin. She held her hands on his shoulders, feeling the muscles tense and relax there. She pushed her shoulders back, offering her body to him. "Don't hold back," she smiled at him. Trustingly. Lovingly. She took his face between her hands and kissed him deeply upon the surge that went through her body.

Emboldened by her statement, it was his turn to sink to his knees after having enjoyed their intimate, passionate kiss. Kissing, nipping and licking her warm skin on his way down, his hands quickly found the button of her jeans. Swirling his tongue around her belly button, he opened the button and agonizingly slowly, he pulled the zipper down. He pressed sweet, small kisses over her tummy as he hooked his tumbs between the waistband of her jeans and her skin, pushing it down her legs. His lips followed the path his thumb had taken. Kissing and caressing her legs, he lowered the garment. He lifted her legs, one at a time so she could step out of her jeans. He lovingly traced her body with his eyes, kissing her hip over the fabric of her panties for good measure before he stood, once again taking in her beauty.

Blood was rushing through her veins, creating a thunder in her ears one moment and complete silence the next, when he looked up at her. She was shocked by the amount of love and tenderness in his eyes. Shocked to see it all aimed at her. Suddenly there was a lump in her throat, and she stepped forward, swiftly unzipping his jeans and pushing them down his legs. He stepped out of them immediately and she curled her fingers around his strong arms. "Take me to bed, Booth," she whispered, eyes locked on his.

Slightly bending his knees, he swept her off of her feet and into his arms. Her whispered words didn't miss their effect on him and his body and he carried her to bed, laying her down on the covers. Standing next to the bed, he hovered over her, kissing her deeply, his hands finding their way to the soft, warm, supple skin of her breast, gently massaging her. When he untangled their tongues and lips slowly, he rose once more and pushed his boxers over his hips, sending them to the floor. Locking eyes with her, he carefully climbed onto the bed. Both of his hands on either side of her shoulders, his knees boxing in her thighs.

She didn't feel trapped, she felt protected. Safe, and loved, and full. Her hands roamed over his chest, fingers pressing into soft places, palms pressing into hard planes of muscle. "You feel so good," she smiled against his lips, then kissed him again.

"So do you, Bones, so do you." He leaned closer to her and whispered, "You're a little overdressed, sweetheart." He turned his head, so he could look into her eyes. "Shall I fix that for you?"

She relaxed back into the bed. "Please do." Grinning. The soft glow of the candlelight cast dancing shadows against the walls and furniture, streaks of gold over Booth's bronzed body. She didn't feel shy about exposing her naked body to him, because it felt like they were so connected they were already one. Why hide something about yourself from yourself? Completely relaxed, she allowed him to take away her last piece of clothing.

"My pleasure," he replied with a husky voice as he lowered his body and pulled her panties down her legs. Once they were off, they joined the rest of the clothing on the floor. Tenderly placing his hands beneath her knees, he leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to each joint, before he slowly parted her legs. Patiently, he crawled back over her body, but this time he rested his knees between hers. "I love you so much, Temperance Brennan," he whispered softly against her lips as he hovered over her naked body. Carefully, he lowered his body onto hers. The contact of their bare bodies was sending off fireworks inside of him.

Her chest heaving up and down, she mentally prepared herself for the first time without pain. The first _real_ time. The moment was very near, and she loved and trusted the man on top of her more than anyone in this world. Slowly, she slid her hand down over his chest, abdomen, hips, her fingers finally closing around his erection. She felt a hint of nervousness when she appreciated how well-endowed he was, knowing that it would have caused her pain in the past. She didn't have to be nervous anymore, though. Instead, she arched an eyebrow. "We need a condom," she smiled.

He nodded, panting slightly as she caressed him so intimately. _At least one of us is thinking straight_. "'Kay, give me a sec." Booth pushed himself up and away from her, immediately missing the heat her body radiated. He quickly stood and located his jeans. Taking out his wallet, he produced the small foil package and dropped both his jeans and his wallet on the ground, before he opened the condom wrapper and pulled on the condom. Satisfied that the necessary precautions had been taken, he joined her on the bed again, settling between her legs. His new favorite place in the world.

She welcomed him back on top of her, bringing her arms around his neck and kissing him with intensity, assuring herself she was ready and it would feel great. That she could be carefree about this. "Booth..." she whispered as she looked deeply into eyes, into the colour of melted chocolate, "I trust you."

He reclaimed her lips in a passionate kiss as he slowly pressed their lower bodies closer together. One of his hands rested on her hip, steadying them both as he tenderly joined their bodies for the first time. He made sure to control himself and enter her body slowly and carefully so he wouldn't hurt her under any circumstances. When he was buried safely inside of her, he looked deeply into her eyes, holding his body still, allowing hers to adjust. Caressing her cheek with his thumb, he whispered, "How do you feel, Bones?"

She'd closed her eyes, concentrating on feeling pleasure and not pain. There was no pain. No pain! With tears of relief in her eyes, she answered, "Happy." He was warm and big inside her, and it was a great feeling, so highly arousing. She pressed her breasts against his chest, feeling as though their skins melted into one another, making them truly one. She held him between her knees, cradling his body like a woman's womb would cradle a fertilised egg. "I love you," she said with all her heart, and slowly, gently kissed his lips. When Booth stopped kissing her, she slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him. "This is amazing," she said softly and lifted her head to catch his lips in another kiss, then lay back down, now starting to move her hips along with his.

Spurred on by her words, and the feeling of her body underneath his, around his, his heart soared. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting this. How long I've wanted you." His hands caressed her body with a mind of their own, but he didn't mind giving in to his basic instincts. It felt like his body knew exactly what to do and he gladly surrendered to her touch.

Her hands roamed over his broad back and shoulders, appreciating his strength and playing with it. It was as if a vacuum existed between their skins, their bodies, and they were being held together, against one another, by a physical force. Slowly, Booth's hips rotated just a bit, and then he was rubbing against a spot inside her that sent pleasure tingling across her spine. She arched her back as her head fell backwards on a moan, and she clamped him tighter between her legs. Their panted breaths mingled and created a warmth around their faces. She was aware of the beautiful nature surrounding the house, and what a natural thing it was they were doing. It was supposed to be like this. It was their nature. They loved each other. And that was all-important.

Her responses to him were incredible. He never would've dared to imagine that she would bare herself to him like this. His movements sped up as his body, his heart, demanded even more of her. He nuzzled her neck, sucking on the delicate skin, enjoying the soft sounds she was creating at his touch.

They had both given into their natural urges and the love they felt was like a string around them, keeping them together. She kissed him everywhere she could reach, crawling into his body, opening up to him. "I love you," she husked in his ear. "I love you."

Her words set his heart, his very soul on fire. His lips found hers in a heartbeat and he claimed them in an intense kiss, trying to convey his love for her with his actions. He was desperate to make love to her slowly, sensually, but his body seemed to have other ideas. He could feel the typical tightening of muscles, the feeling of anticipation, building strongly deep inside of him. "God, Bren, I love you too. So much."

"Then let go," she whispered encouragingly as she wound her fingers through his hair, breathing in his scent, so enticing. The utter relaxation of her body turned into tension, one she knew would be followed by the sweetest release, if nothing got in the way. Nothing did. She wanted more of him, grasping at his back, his shoulders, needing more, pressing herself to him, pressing her lips to the sensitive spot behind his ear. "Booth," she breathed.

Hearing his name fall from her lips in that breathy moan was his undoing. For a few seconds he tried to hold back, but when he felt her clench her inner muscles around him, he let go. The release rushed through him, making his body shake as it raced through it. "Oh god," he mumbled incoherently as his forehead was pressed to the side of her neck, breathing heavily, letting his breath caress her skin.

She felt him let go and fully surrender to her body. Because of the straining of his body, his pelvis pressed into hers, creating a friction that made it unnecessary for her to consciously clench her inner muscles. As he spasmed, a rush of pleasure shot through her body, emanating from the place she was joined with her partner. They held onto each other tightly as they spiralled together.

He felt, more than noticed, her following down that pleasurable abyss. When he had finally come down from his high sufficiently, he gently and carefully separated their bodies and got up to remove the condom. Missing her warmth and her touch, he quickly returned and crawled into bed with her again. He cradled her in his arms and brushed his lips against her cheek. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"

Without thinking about it, she draped her body back over his, resting on his chest, one of her legs between his. She smiled at him. "More than satisfied," she sighed happily. "Liberated," she added after some thought. "What about you?"

"Amazing," he whispered softly. "That," he gently tapped her nose, "was definitely worth the wait, don't you think?"

"I think it's a shame we didn't start this earlier," she commented. She felt so warm, so soft and comfortable against his body. "I could stay here with you a long time," she told him with a smile. She felt so equal to him. So appreciated. Loved.

"I think that's a great idea, Bones." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her body close to his. "I never want to move again." His fingers brushed through her curls. "We'll have to be back next week, though..." He kissed her forehead, "Luckily, it's not Monday yet."

"It's not," she concurred, and revelled in his attention. He made her feel special. Like she was really worth something as a person. She liked that. She rolled off of him and onto her side. To her content, she felt him move with her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She placed her arms over his and gazed out the window. Dusk had firmly settled, showing off a starry sky. Even the wind had gone silent, for the sound of the boat crashing repeatedly against its pier was missing. She took one of Booth's hands and tugged it up to her face, then kissed his knuckles. She placed his palm over her heart, her hand on top of his, keeping it in place as her breathing rhythm slowed. "Booth?" she asked just before she would inevitably be drawn into sleep.

"Yes, Bones?" he whispered softly, holding her close to his chest, pressing soft, sweet kisses on her shoulders.

"I knew you wouldn't hurt me," she confided in him with a smile he could not see, and snuggled contentedly into his embrace.

"Never," he whispered in her ear, caressing the soft, warm skin of her shoulder with his lips. "Sleep, sweetheart." He murmured in a soft whisper, "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Mm. You sleep first," she challenged, and closed her eyes.

"Nah," he spoke softly, brushing his lips against her ear, sending tingles down his spine, "If I fall asleep first, I still won't know what it feels like to have you, naked, sleeping in my arms."

"You'll get plenty chances," she promised, then laughed. "Booth, if we make this into a competition, you know as well as I do that neither of us is going to sleep tonight. We'd better agree to fall asleep simultaneously."

"What do you want to do? Have a countdown?" He chuckled softly and rested his head in the crook of her neck. "I love you. Sweet dreams, Bren."

Glad that he was the first one to speak those words, she fairly replied, "Yeah, you, too." She pressed a last kiss to his strong arm wrapped around her, settled her back against him, and closed her eyes, preparing to fall into darkness with him.

He started a soothing, relaxing motion with his hand on her skin. The soft contact managed to put a smile on his lips and with a murmured, "Love you more," he fell asleep, his arms firmly wrapped around the woman who held his heart.

After that day's - and nightly - exertions, Brennan felt her body being lulled into sleep. Of course, Booth's touches made her more prone to perfect relaxation. She held her hand locked over his, locked over her heart, and as her grip slackened and his motions stopped - she would almost swear - they fell asleep at the same time.

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**It was important to us to get this chapter right. Did we? If not, we have one more chance in the upcoming chapter. As a hint, we give you this: Those who would have liked to see more chapters of Physically, Spiritually, Legally might be more satisfied...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Here it is: the last part of The Fact in The Lie. We want to thank all of you for reading and especially for your kind and helpful words throughout this story. So, for the last time: Enjoy!**

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Epilogue

"Booth," she panted through the telephone. "Booth, I need you." She bit her lip and groaned in pain. "Please..." Why wasn't he picking up? Why was she talking to his voice mail? She put the phone down on the pillow next to her and wrapped her arms around her belly, desperately trying to keep her breathing under control.

Booth was annoyed and was drumming his fingers on his thigh. _God, I hate meetings like this._ For the last hour, he had been listening to Hacker and his vision of the FBI, more specifically, this department, which he seemed to consider was his. Booth appeared to be attentive, as if he was listening to Hacker, but in reality, he was thinking about his beautiful, very pregnant Bones. He couldn't suppress a small smile as he thought about his two beautiful girls, who were still connected in every way possible. He couldn't wait for the day when he would finally get to see his baby girl. Their daughter. Hacker's useless rambling went on for another fifteen minutes. Luckily for him, the thought of his girlfriend and their unborn daughter made time pass quickly. As soon as the meeting was over, he left the room and went back to his office. When Booth approached his desk, he frowned when his cell phone started to buzz. He grabbed the annoying little thing and when he saw he had missed twelve calls from Bones, an uncomfortable feeling settled inside his gut as he pressed her number. "Bones?"

When her cell phone finally beeped, a wave of relief flooded through her body. With trembling hands, she picked up. "Booth... You need to get here," she breathed, wiping the sweat off her brow. "Ah!" she groaned as another contraction demanded her full attention. She'd experienced menstrual cramps, but this was far, far worse.

"What's wrong, Bren?" He didn't even wait for an answer as he grabbed his wallet, his keys and his gun and left his office. He didn't even bother to turn the lights off. Hearing her breathe heavily, he made his way down the stairs, having too much energy to wait for the elevator. "Come on, Bones, talk to me," he half pleaded.

"Contractions," she gasped. "Every... every ten minutes. How long... before you get - here?" She pulled up her knees to her chest, feeling clammy all over, as if she was sick. She continued to breathe fast.

A weird mix of excitement and concern washed over him when she told him it was finally happening. She had gone into labor. "I'm almost in my car. I'll be there in fifteen minutes; I'll turn on the siren." Before he buckled himself in and started the car, he closed his eyes and focused on her. "Bren, focus on the clock on your cell, it'll help with the pain, if you are distracted. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. I love you, sweetheart."

"If you keep to the speeding limits, I'm going to be very upset, Booth," she threatened. "This is the twenty-first century... I want pain killers!" she demanded, jaw clenched.

He couldn't surpress another smile, but he was careful not to make any sounds. "I won't. I'll turn on the siren. I'll be right there, Bones." He disconnected their phone call, buckled himself in, thrust the key in the ignition and started the car. He turned on the siren and guided the SUV homewards. And as promised, he didn't keep to the speeding limits and only stopped for a red light once. Fourteen minutes and a half later, he parked the car in front of their building, killed the engine and quickly made his way upstairs.

She nearly cried in relief when she heard the door open and close, then rushed footsteps coming her way. "Did you call the hospital?" she groaned, feeling another wave build up and nearing its peak. It felt as though her vertebrae were being crushed and her lower abdomen ripped open.

"No," Booth answered as he sat down on the bed next to her and caressed her cheek, guiding her face upwards, so she would look at him. "It'll be okay, Bones. Your bag is in the car already and as soon as this contraction has eased, I'll help you downstairs and into the car, okay?" He would call the hospital in a minute, but now she was in pain, and he wasn't going to leave her side as long as this contraction lasted.

"Remember that massage? I want it now." She was referring to the lower-back massage technique Booth had learned - and practised! - to help relieve the pain. She found she couldn't focus anymore on anything but the process her body was going through. She felt feral, all of her senses turning inward, hardly able to decipher what Booth was saying to her. And yet, there was this ancient power blooming from inside her. She felt so close to nature, was clearly aware of her connection to it. That she was part of it. Of life. It was the most painful and at the same time most wonderful feeling.

Booth moved around on the bed until he was sitting behind her. They had practised this before, and even though they had practised it in a different position, Booth didn't hesitate and lay down behind her, slipping his warm hands underneath her shirt on the bare skin of her lower back. Soothingly, he repeated the movements, exerting the right amount of pressure as he softly whispered reassuring words to her.

Her contractions followed each other with fewer time between. Booth was helping, but it wasn't enough. "We should... go," she managed to utter, then felt something between her legs and looked down. "I'm bleeding," she informed him.

Those words shocked him out of his happy bubble and brought him crashing down to earth. "You're bleeding?" he asked, the worry clear in his voice. "You're not supposed to bleed are you?"

"It can happen," she spoke, feeling the cramps ebb away. Now would be the time to move. "It's going to happen today, I just know it." She pushed herself up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, ready to stand and get this over with.

"Whoaw, whoaw, not so fast, Bones!" Her words had done nothing to ease him and he was very worried about them. He got up as well and went to stand in front of her, "Let me help you up."

She grabbed his outstretched arms and let him pull her up. She breathed out, pearls of sweat appearing on her forehead. "I need to be in the car before the next contraction." Her baby felt so still and quiet, just as if it, too, was preparing. As if she wasn't going to do this on her own, but they were together. She tenderly moved her hand over her protruding belly._We'll soon be able to see each other, little one,_ she silently communicated to her baby.

Booth nodded and wrapped his arm around her, supporting her. He wasn't sure they would make it into the car before the next contraction, but they were damn well going to try. "Come on, let's go." They moved through their appartment carefully and he reached for his keys. Once they had made it through the front door, he quickly locked it. He stayed close to her body, offering as much help and support as he could while leading them towards the elevator.

They'd made it into the stairwell of the underground parking lot when she grabbed the railing and sank to her knees. Her breathing was heavy and uneven. This was the top of the wave, and everything around her blurred. She closed her eyes and imagined a sunny day at the lake house; warmth, light and the smell of trees surrounding her. She got her breathing under control and bit by bit, her body relaxed.

Booth swore under his breath as he sank down with her, keeping his arms around her waist, guiding her down gently. His hands moved to her back in an attempt to help her deal with the pain of the new contraction. As soon as the wave had passed, he helped her back to her feet and a few minutes later, he was buckling her in. "You're doing a great job. I'm so proud of you, Bones," Booth told her as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and drove them to the hospital. Since he used the siren once more, it only took him about twelve minutes to reach it. He parked his car in front of the emergency room and even before he had killed the engine, two nurses were already helping Bones out of the car and into a wheelchair.

Whilst sitting in the wheelchair, Brennan could tell without a doctor's examination that she was about to give birth. She heard people talking, but couldn't understand English anymore. She was completely focused, in a lot of pain, yet in control of it. When they'd wheeled her into the delivery room and turned to each other to talk through the birth plan, she got out of the wheelchair, walked to the bed and held onto the bar at the end of it. Crouching, the sound of her breathing filled her ears. She experienced an intense feeling of needing to bear down and start pushing, so that's naturally what she did. She felt that she was being stretched from the inside, felt the head of her baby moving down. It definitely wouldn't be long now.

Booth had been listening to the doctors, wanting to know exactly what was going to happen. They were deep in conversation, using words that resembled Chinese more than English and that's when he heard it. Being a sniper, he had had no problems dividing his attention between the scientific babbling the doctors were emitting and the sounds his partner was making. When he heard a soft creaking and her heavy breathing, he turned around to check on her. His eyes were wide when he located her and without thinking about it, he rushed over to her and squatted down next to her, wrapping one arm around her lower back, supporting her. "Bones, what on earth are you doing?"

She was in the middle of a contraction, unable to speak. She felt Booth's presence beside her and turned so she could wrap her arms around his neck. He rose, pulling her body along. When he intended to walk her over to the bed, she stayed put. Lying down would be a stupid thing to do. She was not going to dismiss the help of gravity. So she held onto him, her belly pressed into his abdomen, using his warmth to help relax her. Suddenly she knew; this was how she was going to deliver her baby.

He was gratefull she wrapped her arms around his neck, so he could help her up. When she refused to move as he tried to get her in bed, he figured she just had to ride out the pain. As soon as her muscles relaxed, he tried again, but yet she stayed put. "Like this?" he asked her softly. The question wasn't more than a quiet whisper, but he needed to know. He had never heard of a baby being delivered in this position, but since she was the one actually having the baby, he was determined to let her call the shots. If this was how she wanted to give birth, he needed to know, so he could make the doctors respect her decision and help her in anyway they could.

She couldn't follow the whole thing, but after she'd nodded her head and relaxed against his broad chest, the nurses had to have reassured him. In fact, many women refused to lie down during delivery, as they would have to push the baby up a small slope instead of letting gravity pull as they pushed simultaneously. One of the nurses said something to her in a friendly, reassuring voice, and then she felt her comfortable pants being slipped off her legs, along with her panties. A moment later, the doctor came in to measure her dilation.

"She's already crowning!" she exclaimed and proceeded to give the nurses an order. A few seconds later, Brennan felt a mask being held in front of her mouth. Realising that it was the much-appreciated entonox that would give her some relief, she gratefully breathed in, leaning her head against Booth's shoulder.

He kept his arms firmly wrapped around her, providing her an anchor to hold onto. When she leaned into his shoulder, he turned his head and pressed a kiss into her hair. "You're doing great, Bones." He told her sincerely. For a moment the chaos seemed to have calmed down, but Booth knew it was about to start up again when he heard the doctor say the words he had been waiting for.

"On the next contraction, I want you to push."

She'd already been pushing, and was only obeying nature. The doctor was merely describing what she already knew. For a moment, her mother's proud, smiling face appeared before her mind's eye, and Brennan wondered whether her mother was helping her right now. The next contraction totally distracted her from that train of thought, though, and she built up the tension in her body to push. Her legs were giving out, but Booth had a firm grip on her. It also helped that by pressing them together, he helped her apply pressure to the baby, forcing her down into the birth canal. She didn't scream, she was quiet, working hard, working with all the strength she had in her.

Booth was afraid to hurt the baby, because he was standing so close to her. One of the nurses must've noticed because she told him that since he was helping her to stand up, it would be helpful if he could apply the pressure on her abdomen, by pulling her close. He looked at her as if she'd gone mad, but that only lasted a second as he remembered one of the nurses applying pressure on Rebecca's abdomen when she had given birth to Parker. Reassured, he held her close to him and slipped one hand a little lower to massage her lower back. They worked silently - as one - to bring their daughter into the world.

An hour later, Brennan was exhausted. From the constant pain, from the effort, from holding up her body, from breathing; everything. By this time the doctor was talking to her like a child, supposedly to gently encourage her to hold on. First, Brennan was mildly frustrated. Now, she was getting mad as hell.

"One more push, honey..."

That was it. She opened her mouth to tell the woman to shut it and let her be, when instead her body decided to turn her anger into power and give one more push. Promptly, her baby's head was born, and the doctor and nurses erupted in excitement, urging her on. _Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!_ was all she thought while she pushed again and then once more, giving birth to the baby's shoulders. Her energy completely spent, she felt tugging and the rest of her child's little body was pulled out of her. One of the nurses immediately put her daughter in a blanket and cleared her airways, but Brennan did not see any of this. Booth was the only thing keeping her from collapsing onto the floor, and the only thing she became aware of was her baby's crying as it filled the room. The child shrieked for all she was worth, and a blessed smile graced Brennan's features.

A smile of his own curled around Booth's lips at his daughter's cries. Avoiding any sudden movements, he bent through his knees and gently sweeped Bones into his arms. Protectively holding her close to him, he walked around the bed so he could lay her down. Once she was on the bed, he kissed her briefly, yet intensely. He didn't have any words to describe how happy she had just made him.

She was vaguely aware of being picked up and carried, then gently laid down on the bed. Her legs were quickly covered with a blanket and she felt Booth's lips gently kiss her, full of admiration. She accepted his praise, because, hell yes, she deserved it. But then, she wanted her baby. She opened her eyes and pushed up her upper body, searching the room. Where was her baby?

"Shh, calm down. The doctors just took her away to weigh her and stuff like that. They will be back with her before you know it." He grabbed her hand when one of the doctors approached them.

"You did a good job, Dr. Brennan, but as you know, we aren't quite finished yet."

"I want her now," Brennan said in a weak but determined voice, lying back down. Slowly, she became aware of light contractions in her uterus. She couldn't stand the idea of yet more substance moving through her vagina, which felt hot, stingy and swollen. So, purposefully, she did not push when the doctor asked her to. She was done for now. She was not complying with anybody's wishes until her baby girl was safely in her arms. "Give me my daughter."

"No. I can't," Booth told her as he gently squeezed her hand, "I know you want to hold her and I understand that. I do." Letting go of her hand, he gently guided her face towards him. "I promise you will see her in a second, but you can't focus on doing this with her in your arms and you can't focus fully on her unless you've done this."

She shook her head, adamant. "If she drinks, the oxytocin will stimulate..." She didn't have the strength to finish her sentence, getting angry with him. Between them, he was the one capable of walking, and he was refusing to help her get their baby girl. Upset, she turned her head away from him.

"Bren, don't please..." His voice was soft and he gently brushed her hair back. "Don't be upset. It's almost done and when you're done, you can hold her, okay?"

"I'm the only one who gets to decide when I hold my daughter," she said angrily, trying to ignore the cramps in her lower abdomen. "I'm her mother!" she said, tears oozing from her eyes. She knew about this phenomenon. She'd been crying over this and that for two weeks. They could not watch movies, because she cried over the violence or the sentimental love stories. They didn't watch the news anymore, because she felt tears push up whenever she heard about all the terrible wars and misery in this world. Once, she'd nearly given Booth a heart attack by disappearing from their apartment. Eventually, he'd found her at the playground in their neighbourhood, a smile on her lips as she watched the children play. Now, she was crying again, and unable to stop it.

Patiently, he brushed her tears away. "Yes, Bones. You are her mother. And I know that you are just looking out for her. I know how much you want to hold her." He paused as he leaned over her and pressed a kiss to her wet cheek, tasting the salt. "But that's all I'm trying to do. Look out for you and like I said, you can't focus on doing what you have to do with her in your arms just like you can't focus on her until this is done. Do you understand that?" His voice was soft and caring and he hoped he was getting through to her.

"Booth, I'm not doing it until I see her. I need to see her. She wants her mother," Brennan insisted. His loving caresses only fuelled her anger, as if he could just coax her into submission like that. She'd just given birth! Her body had produced new life and nobody would be able to convince her that not having her daughter was beneficial to anyone. If he kept this up, this working against her instead of being on her side, she would take a long time to forgive him. Like, a year or two.

Booth found her stubborn refusal - which was fuelled by emotions and not logic for once - endearing. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and straightened. Turning around, he walked into the other small room, where his daughter was resting in the arms of one of the nurses. Smiling at her, he reached for the infant and cradled her against his chest. "Let's go meet Mommy, baby. 'Cause I doubt she'll ever forgive Daddy for thinking about her needs instead of listening to her when she tells Daddy what she wants."

When Booth returned, a smile broke through on Brennan's face and she stretched out her arms. Booth was wise enough to give her the baby without further delay, and she cradled the tiny body in her arms, tenderly kissing the top of her head, pressing her eyes closed with the intensity of the moment. "Welcome, my darling," she spoke to her baby girl, and at that moment her daughter opened her eyes. It was the first time, the nurses told her later, that she'd opened her eyes. They were a bright blue, not a hint of her father's colour, all Temperance. After a few moments of studying each other, the newborn's face contracted and her tiny lips parted to give way to a wail that indicated perfectly formed lungs. With one hand, Brennan unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it down her shoulder. Then, she offered her daughter her breast, which she took in her mouth and eagerly began sucking, just as if she'd been doing it for a long time. Fascinated and touched, Brennan watched her daughter drink. "She's... perfect. Isn't she?" Finally, she looked up at the father of her child, her eyes shining with tears of happiness.

Booth took another step closer and kissed her. "Yeah, she is. Will you now do what you have to do?" he asked, smiling at his two girls. He could've been annoyed that she refused to listen to reason, but deep inside, he knew it wasn't stubbornness or a misplaced notion of wanting to be the one in control. No, her actions had been born from love and protectiveness toward their daughter and he couldn't possibly love her less for it.

Booth pulled back after the kiss, but she stretched her neck to claim another. "Thank you, Booth. You're perfect, too," she smiled. The nurse finally dared to approach Brennan and pulled the sheet off of her, asking her to pull up her knees. Brennan complied without protests, and indeed felt the contractions get stronger as her daughter stimulated her oxytocin response. When the nurse asked her to push, she did, and simultaneously felt the nurse carefully pull the end of the umbilical cord. Soon, the placenta left her body, and she almost had to laugh at how easy it was. But then, she'd just delivered a child. Everything might seem easy after that. The nurse took away the placenta and another cleaned her up. Brennan couldn't care less. She was a mother, now. Her only focus in the world was her family.

When one of the nurses approached her with another sheet, Booth took it and tucked her in. He turned to the doctor and the nurses. "Can we have some privacy before we move to her room?" When the doctor nodded indulgently, he smiled and turned back to his Bones and their daughter.

"Look at her, Booth," Brennan said with the most care-free, happy smile that had ever graced her features. Her baby girl was suckling contentedly on her breast, and it was great to still be able to nurture the little life in her arms. "Our daughter," she said in a way that suggested the baby was the most important, best-kept secret of their lives. Finally with them.

"Our daughter," Booth repeated proudly. Carefully, he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Our family," he added as he looked at her, love shining brightly in his eyes. "I love you so much, Bones." He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. "And you too, baby." He tenderly brushed his lips along the soft skin of her cheek, taking in that unique baby smell.

Booth's love and dedication to their family filled her with new energy. She took his chin and pulled him to her for a kiss. "And I love the both of you. And Parker. We should call him soon to tell him he has a little sister." She glanced down at the little miracle of nature against her breast. The tiny fingers, her skin still looking as if she'd spent too much time under water. Brennan kissed the top of her head and breathed in her smell, closing her eyes. Then, she looked up at Booth. "Sarah Elisabeth," she said.

He hadn't discussed this with her, but he went for it, convinced he had made the right choice. "Sarah Elisabeth Brennan - Booth." He looked into her eyes, awaiting her reaction. She had been handed the worst cards in life and yet, she had succeeded in making her name one to be reckoned with. And he was proud of that.

Brennan smiled at him. She'd half-expected him to cling to the old-fashioned way and call their daughter 'Booth' only. But he'd proved to her more than once that his family was more important than anything. More important than his principles, his reputation, his life. "Sarah Elisabeth. Brennan-Booth," she confirmed. Then, turning to the object of their conversation, "I got you the best father you could ever wish for, Sarah." Brennan brought the girl's fist to her lips and tenderly brushed a kiss against it. "We'll never leave you, whatever happens, whoever you become," she promised. Sarah opened her eyes again at that moment, and Brennan remembered to let her drink from her other breast, which felt tense and about to burst. She carefully transferred the tiny body, Booth helping to pull down her shirt. Brennan looked at him, beaming.

He smiled back at her and sighed contently. "Thank you, Bren. This is all I ever wanted. And you are right," he caressed Sarah's cheek, "your mommy and daddy will always love you." He looked back up at Brennan, "And your dad will always love your mom."

Brennan looked into his eyes. First, they were attractive. Then, kind, even when she didn't deserve his kindness. Respectful. Then, playful. Caring. Concerned. And now, loving. She never thought she'd find true love, had stopped hoping for a lot of things to happen. But he had revitalised that hope, that yearning for happiness in its most natural form. Yes, he'd showed her. Showed her love was real. She looked into those warm, brown eyes, as familiar as her own. She'd found a good man who wanted her, too. This day, she felt as if her past was really over. She spoke past the emotion in her throat. "And if your mother can prove to your father that she'll never stop loving him in return by marrying him one day, she would."

Booth continued to caress his daughter's cheek as he looked at her. "Your dad would love to marry her one day..." he looked up, "but you don't need to prove anything. I know you love me. I feel it." He leaned forward and kissed Brennan deeply, pouring his love for her into their kiss.

Winding one arm around his neck, pulling him closer, she returned his kiss, their daughter safely between their bodies. When they pulled slightly apart to get some oxygen, they rested their foreheads against one another. "We're not just partners, anymore, Booth," she told him. "We're a family, now."

At that, when they both looked down at the little infant against Brennan's chest, the baby girl opened her blue eyes once more and looked at her parents as if she were to agree.

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**The End! We'd love to hear your thoughts on this final chapter and on the story as a whole. We really enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster of writing this and we hope to have taken you along. Of course, new fics are in the making ;). Please stay with us! Thank you!**


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